From Startup to Scale-Up: Smart Returns Management at VLACE

VLACE: A Sneaker Brand with Purpose

VLACE’s vegan sneakers combine style with an uncompromising stance on animal welfare and sustainability. Founded in 2022 by Viola Weller, VLACE emerged from the strong desire to offer a better alternative to conventional sneaker production conditions.

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“I absolutely love animals,” Viola explains, “and I was shocked when I realized the harsh realities behind typical sneaker production—poor animal treatment, child labor, chemical processes, low wages. I couldn't accept this.”

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Drawing from her fashion and design background, Viola personally sketched her first sneaker, traveled to Portugal, and stayed until she found a producer who shared her ethical values.

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Initially focused on B2B, VLACE gained significant attention after appearing on "Die Höhle der Löwen" (German Shark Tank), boosting their direct-to-consumer sales.

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Today, VLACE collaborates with fruit-leather producers in Italy and manufactures in Portugal. Their community is deeply connected to Viola’s mission. “People don’t just message us with ‘Hi VLACE team’, but ‘Hi Viola’—it’s heartening to see how our story resonates.”

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The Challenge – Time-consuming Returns

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As B2C demand grew, new challenges emerged, especially in returns management: “We did everything manually—maintaining Excel sheets, back-and-forth emails with customers, manually creating return labels, and processing refunds in Shopify. It consumed a tremendous amount of time.”

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For the small team, the effort was overwhelming. “Sometimes we'd spend up to 30 minutes just figuring out what a customer wanted from a single email. We lost track—when did the return arrive, has the refund been processed yet? It quickly became clear that things couldn’t continue this way,” Viola recalls.

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Quick Solution through Recommendation

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The solution arrived unexpectedly: “Our logistics provider recommended 8returns—they thought it could be perfect for us.”

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Without extensive deliberation or testing alternative tools, VLACE immediately started with 8returns. “We just had this instant feeling that this software was exactly right for us.”

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The Outcome: More Time, Happier Customers, Better Processes

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Introducing 8returns was a real game changer. “We've been saving an incredible amount of time since implementation. And our customers are happier,” says Viola. “Especially because we’re dealing with fewer frustrated emails about returns. 8returns has simply made our returns management more professional and trustworthy.”

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Tasks that previously involved Excel sheets and emails are now streamlined through the returns platform. Today, the returns process is fully automated—customers can independently initiate returns, receive labels or QR codes, and get automated status updates.

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Another advantage: Seamless exchanges. “Our customers can now easily exchange for different sizes or models,” explains Viola. “It boosts satisfaction because the process feels uncomplicated—customers can easily try another option.”

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The team benefits too. “Returns used to drain our resources. Now we can focus on other important tasks. The returns rate is naturally growing with our footwear segment, but what matters is how efficiently we manage it—and we're doing it very well now.”

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Conclusion

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With 8returns, VLACE found a solution perfectly aligned with their mission: conserving resources, working smarter, and improving the customer experience. Returns management is no longer a stress factor but a key part of their growth strategy.

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