New E-Commerce Option for Returned Large Consumer Goods from HomeDirectUSA: Direct Liquidation®

HomeDirectUSA, the leading U.S. provider of “white-glove” home deliveries for large consumer goods, has added a first-of-its-kind service option for returned items. Called Direct Liquidation, the service efficiently manages the e-commerce sale of returned items. This new option is an enhancement of the company’s popular Direct Recovery® reverse logistics service.

“Retailers of large consumer goods haven’t had many good options for dealing with product returns, which are a significant expense for home delivery services,” says Ben Say, director of sales, HomeDirectUSA. “We have been able to leverage our transportation and distribution center network to help our customers generate new revenue on--or efficiently dispose of--returned items that previously have been a costly liability.”

This is the latest enhancement of the company’s Direct Recovery reverse logistics service, designed for the special needs of large consumer goods retailers, including consolidation and repair/restoration services. With Direct Liquidation, retailers are relieved of complex and expensive returns management. Instead, HomeDirectUSA takes responsibility for items the moment they are rejected at the home delivery site. Products are returned via the company’s nationwide transportation network to its central Indianapolis returns processing center.

Once received at the center, returns enter a process designed to maximize revenue. Returned goods are inspected and their condition is reported to customers who then decide whether to refurbish and return to inventory; consolidate with other returns for liquidation; or offer for e-commerce sale--the new Direct Liquidation option. Under any of these scenarios, HomeDirectUSA manages the entire process for its customers. The new e-commerce option allows the owners of the goods to either set a fixed price, or offer items for sale in online auctions. HomeDirectUSA then ensures that the items sell at the best possible price, and handles all the necessary activity including delivery to buyers and processing of payments.

“Our Indianapolis facility has the necessary infrastructure and people who have the skills to make this work,” according to Say. “It just doesn’t make sense for many retailers to perform these tasks. At the scale we can achieve we are able to economically put many of their returned items back into the market.”

HomeDirectUSA is the highest-volume, fastest-growing “white glove” delivery company in North America, transporting large consumer products to any home or business in the United States and Canada. HomeDirectUSA is dedicated to providing customers--including retailers, e-tailers and manufacturers--with innovative logistics solutions using industry expertise and leading-edge technology. HomeDirectUSA is owned by Transportation Resource Partners (TRP), a private equity firm and an affiliate of Penske Corporation.

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OakStreet Man to Sell Exceptional Goods for the Uncompromising Man via the Web

Entrepreneur Bill Acorn says his new venture, OakStreet Man, will offer “exceptional goods for the uncompromising man” via the Internet.

“Affluent males desire unique goods and services of exceptional quality and value,” says Acorn. “We’re creating an Internet shopping experience that will simplify their search and reward them with the best of the best. Our sophisticated website, which is in development at www.OakStreetMan.com, will offer an inviting ‘street’ full of shops, offering everything from selected jewelry and leather goods to the world’s finest cookware and sports gear; from fine art to custom motorcycles. We’ll also provide a wide range of intelligently organized lifestyle kits for the traveler, the newly divorced and the outdoorsman, for example, as well as global travel arrangements and full concierge services.”

The company’s full-blown retail site should be live in the Spring of 2009. Plans call for the first OakStreet Man brick-and-mortar store to follow in 2011 in a major luxury destination city.

As an accomplished businessman, Acorn knows first-hand there’s a need for a quality-assured site like the one he’s developing. “For business and pleasure,” he says, “I’ve traveled throughout the world, spending two months or more a year at destinations across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas.” With his wife and five sons, Acorn indulges in a wide range of sports, including skiing on water and snow, scuba diving, hunting, hiking and weight lifting. He’s owned motorcycles all his adult life, and roams Tucson’s roads on either a BMW 1100 RS bike or a 2006 Corvette. His home is filled with fine art, wine and furnishings.

“OakStreet Man will reflect my personal taste, of course,” Acorn notes, “but we’ll also rely on the product recommendations of an impressive selection of named experts… a recognized chef who’ll select kitchen appliances, bar tools and cooking schools; an accomplished outdoorsman to pick the best camping gear, unique excursions and the best guides, and so on. Each of our experts will share their knowledge via text and video on our website.”

OakStreet Man is tapping into a particularly attractive market. The rich vastly prefer online shopping to in-store buying, according to an October 2008 study by Google. In a survey of 263 wealthy shoppers age 25 to 64, 95% said they made their last luxury purchase online. On average, they spend $211,267 on luxury goods annually.

Google defines millionaires as those earning at least $1 million a year, while ultra-affluents have net worths of $1 million+ and household incomes of $250,000+ a year for married couples and $175,000+ for singles.
“Wealthy shoppers today are more comfortable surfing the web and clearly appreciate the savings in valuable time that e-commerce provides, compared to in-store visits,” Acorn observes. “To this segment, time is more valuable than money.”

The Google study underscores an additional reason OakStreet Man will appeal to affluent shoppers: 91% of responding millionaires say they always or often look at reviews before buying luxury goods. “Our site will provide expert commentary on the reasons particular goods and services were selected for our collection,” says Acorn. “In video and text, a recognized chef will explain the merits of his picks for the perfect kitchen; a renowned outdoorsman will explain how he made his choice of the best fishing, hiking and boating gear; a master sommelier will show how she arrived at her selection of wine accessories. We’ll provide the best of the best, along with convincing reviews and gold-standard guarantees, assuring total satisfaction.”  

The principal and founder of engineering firm Acorn Consulting Services, Acorn (59) has been involved for 35 years in the analysis and design of hundreds of projects, ranging from institutional laboratories to semiconductor cleanrooms. He’s been honored with numerous awards for technical excellence and is recognized for his achievements, innovation and foresight in the advanced technology industry. He’s an author, a sought-after industry lecturer, consultant on regulatory affairs, and frequent forensic engineering expert witness in courtroom settings. Acorn gives back to the community through academic appointments at Arizona State University in Phoenix and the University of Arizona in Tucson.

For information about OakStreet Man, submit an inquiry at www.OakStreetMan.com or call Bill Acorn at 866-99-OAKST.


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