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Ep. 35 - Why Circular Retail Is a $2 Trillion Opportunity Most Retailers Are Missing
Most consumer products are discarded long before they lose their usefulness. This episode explores what it would take to redesign retail so products don't just get sold - they come back.
KEY CONCEPTS COVERED:
- Circular retail and closed-loop product life cycles
- Reverse logistics beyond traditional returns
- The commercial shift from maximising volume to maximising value
In this episode of Chain Reaction, Michael Ostroumov is joined by John Atcheson (Co-founder and CEO of Circular Way) for a grounded discussion on what circular economy means in operational and commercial terms. They unpack the scale of value being lost through short product lifecycles, examine how buyback and resale models could reshape retail supply chains, and challenge the traditional "sell more units" mindset by exploring what happens when businesses focus on extracting more value from every product they manufacture.
This episode is particularly relevant for retail leaders, supply chain operators, sustainability teams, and logistics professionals navigating the future of resale, refurbishment, and closed-loop supply chains.
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z7ImOMknY7g
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) - Introduction and episode context
(01:54) - From tech startups to circular retail models
(04:03) - The scale of waste and the $2 trillion resale opportunity
(08:49) - Circularity vs recycling vs resale: what’s the difference?
(11:34) - Reverse logistics: what actually happens when products come back
(16:26) - Why centralised sorting models fall short
(26:32) - The role of AI in pricing and circular decision-making
(30:48) - Cannibalisation fears and the business model trade-off
(39:48) - Global supply chains and the impact of circular flows
(43:59) - If one obstacle could be removed overnight
CONNECT WITH THE HOST & GUEST:
Michael Ostroumov - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelostroumov/
John Atcheson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnatcheson/
CONNECT WITH FLOX:
Website: https://www.flox.is
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flox-logistics-services/
Related Service Page: https://www.flox.is/services/buyers/
ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
In this deep dive into circular retail and closed-loop supply chains, Chain Reaction examines how reverse logistics, resale infrastructure, and refurbishment networks could reshape the economics of modern retail. The episode explores the operational complexity of grading returned products, the commercial implications of buyback models, and the global supply chain shifts that circularity may trigger. It also addresses the strategic tension between traditional volume-driven growth and value-driven lifecycle design - and why the future of retail may depend less on producing more, and more on keeping products in circulation for longer.
#ChainReactionPodcast #SupplyChain #CircularEconomy #RetailInnovation #ReverseLogistics #Sustainability
View all episodes
By Michael OstroumovMost consumer products are discarded long before they lose their usefulness. This episode explores what it would take to redesign retail so products don't just get sold - they come back.
KEY CONCEPTS COVERED:
- Circular retail and closed-loop product life cycles
- Reverse logistics beyond traditional returns
- The commercial shift from maximising volume to maximising value
In this episode of Chain Reaction, Michael Ostroumov is joined by John Atcheson (Co-founder and CEO of Circular Way) for a grounded discussion on what circular economy means in operational and commercial terms. They unpack the scale of value being lost through short product lifecycles, examine how buyback and resale models could reshape retail supply chains, and challenge the traditional "sell more units" mindset by exploring what happens when businesses focus on extracting more value from every product they manufacture.
This episode is particularly relevant for retail leaders, supply chain operators, sustainability teams, and logistics professionals navigating the future of resale, refurbishment, and closed-loop supply chains.
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z7ImOMknY7g
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) - Introduction and episode context
(01:54) - From tech startups to circular retail models
(04:03) - The scale of waste and the $2 trillion resale opportunity
(08:49) - Circularity vs recycling vs resale: what’s the difference?
(11:34) - Reverse logistics: what actually happens when products come back
(16:26) - Why centralised sorting models fall short
(26:32) - The role of AI in pricing and circular decision-making
(30:48) - Cannibalisation fears and the business model trade-off
(39:48) - Global supply chains and the impact of circular flows
(43:59) - If one obstacle could be removed overnight
CONNECT WITH THE HOST & GUEST:
Michael Ostroumov - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelostroumov/
John Atcheson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnatcheson/
CONNECT WITH FLOX:
Website: https://www.flox.is
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flox-logistics-services/
Related Service Page: https://www.flox.is/services/buyers/
ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
In this deep dive into circular retail and closed-loop supply chains, Chain Reaction examines how reverse logistics, resale infrastructure, and refurbishment networks could reshape the economics of modern retail. The episode explores the operational complexity of grading returned products, the commercial implications of buyback models, and the global supply chain shifts that circularity may trigger. It also addresses the strategic tension between traditional volume-driven growth and value-driven lifecycle design - and why the future of retail may depend less on producing more, and more on keeping products in circulation for longer.
#ChainReactionPodcast #SupplyChain #CircularEconomy #RetailInnovation #ReverseLogistics #Sustainability