How Burju Shoes Eliminated 98% of Worn Returns
Key Insights
Burju Shoes was losing thousands each month due to a major returns issue—over 60% of shoes came back worn and unsellable. To combat this, they required customers to submit return photos before receiving a label, but the manual review process overwhelmed their CX team and slowed down operations. Furter, without an exchange option, every return meant lost revenue.
Frate automated fraud detection with AI-powered image verification, eliminating the manual workload and ensuring worn shoes never made it back. With the addition of seamless, one-click exchanges, 40% of returns are now converted into exchanges, keeping customers engaged and revenue in-house. What was once a costly operational challenge is now a fully optimized, revenue-driving returns process.
Table of Contents
About Burju Shoes
Burju Shoes is a premium dance footwear brand designed for style, performance, and comfort. Founded by professional dancer and choreographer Burju Perez, the company has built a loyal following among dancers, performers, and fashion-forward customers who demand high-quality shoes that move with them.
Challenges
Burju Shoes was facing a returns crisis that was eating into their bottom line:
- Over 60% of returned shoes were coming back worn, making them unsellable.
- Customer support agents were spending excessive time manually reviewing return requests, creating operational bottlenecks.
- They weren’t offering exchanges, meaning every return resulted in lost revenue and a higher chance of customers shopping elsewhere.
"We were losing thousands every month due to worn returns. Our CX team was overwhelmed reviewing return photos manually, and we had no way to keep customers in our ecosystem through exchanges."
Doreen Banaszak, COOBurju Shoes needed a smarter way to filter out worn returns, streamline the returns process, and turn lost sales into retained revenue. They turned to Frate to redefine their returns strategy—starting with AI-powered image verification and seamless exchanges.
Results
"Frate’s AI image verification has completely changed how we handle returns—no more manual checks, no more lost revenue from worn items, and way more customers opting for exchanges instead of refunds."
Doreen Banaszak, COOWith Frate’s AI-driven returns automation, Burju Shoes solved their biggest pain points overnight:
- No More Worn Returns: Customers now upload images of their return before receiving a shipping label. Initially, CX agents reviewed these manually, but with Frate’s AI image verification, the process is now fully automated—eliminating fraud and saving hours of manual work each day.
- CX Team Workload Cut in Half: What once took minutes per return is now handled in seconds by AI, allowing the customer experience team to focus on high-value interactions instead of tedious return assessments.
- Exchanges Over Refunds: Burju Shoes now offers one-click exchanges across their entire catalog, making it easier for customers to swap for a different size, style, or even a higher-priced item. As a result, over 40% of returns now convert into exchanges, directly increasing revenue retention.
By leveraging Frate, Burju Shoes has transformed returns from a profit-draining problem into a revenue-driving opportunity. The brand now protects its inventory, reduces CX overhead, and keeps more customers engaged—all while delivering a seamless, frustration-free return experience.
