An end to backroom congestion headaches through reusable packaging in retail and ecommerce fulfillment? One major national retailer has rolled out reusable packaging across more than 4,000 high-volume stores as part of a broader effort to bring structure and efficiency to increasingly congested retail backrooms.
The retailer has adopted The Last Box, a reusable shipping container developed by Returnity, to replace disposable corrugated packaging that was never designed to support today’s hybrid retail fulfillment models. According to the company, the deployment has already surpassed 100,000 units, with expansion driven by rapid adoption at the store level.
Retail backrooms have evolved into multi-purpose logistics nodes, supporting ecommerce returns, ship-from-store programs, curbside pickup, local delivery, and seasonal volume surges. While the workflows have changed, the physical tools used to manage them often have not.
“Retail backrooms weren’t built to be fulfillment centers, but that’s what they’ve become,” said Mike Newman, CEO of Returnity. “Teams are managing more products with less space and under tighter timelines. The Last Box brings structure to that complexity and reduces material waste along the way.”
From Single-Use to Circulating Assets
Unlike single-use corrugated boxes, The Last Box is designed to circulate repeatedly between distribution centers and stores. The reusable containers are used for inbound deliveries, internal transfers, order staging, restocking, and returns, allowing a single box to remain in service across multiple workflows rather than being discarded after one trip.
Retailers participating in the rollout report improvements in inventory handling and a reduction in damaged or misplaced goods, along with less time spent managing excess cardboard in already constrained backroom spaces. In some locations, reusable containers have replaced ad hoc staging solutions that emerged as store-based fulfillment volumes increased.
“Some stores were staging orders in hallways or converting small offices just to keep up,” Newman added. “This isn’t just a packaging issue. It’s a systems issue, and better tools are helping retailers restore flow and efficiency.”
Supporting Hybrid Fulfillment Models
The impact of reusable packaging is most pronounced in stores supporting fast-turn fulfillment models, including curbside pickup and local delivery networks that rely on personal vehicles. In these environments, even small inefficiencies can cascade into misplaced inventory, fulfillment delays, or product loss.
By standardizing containers across inbound, outbound, and internal movements, retailers can reduce variability in how goods are staged and transferred, while also limiting reliance on packaging formats that were designed primarily for one-way shipping.
Other national retailers piloting The Last Box system have reported similar results, particularly in high-volume fulfillment locations where cardboard waste and space constraints were becoming operational bottlenecks.
Designed to Integrate with Existing Systems
Returnity positions The Last Box as a plug-and-play solution that works with existing carriers, labels, and pack-out processes, without requiring new software or custom integrations. Once emptied, the boxes collapse for return shipment and are placed back into circulation, supporting reuse cycles that can exceed 50 trips.
The company says the containers have also been selected for use by logistics providers that require compatibility with automated systems, allowing reusable packaging to move through existing networks with minimal disruption.
As retailers continue to explore circular systems and rethink how store backrooms function within omnichannel operations, reusable transport packaging is emerging as a practical lever for improving flow, reducing waste, and stabilizing costs tied to single-use materials.
Source: Returnity
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
