America is in an overstock and returns crisis. Every year 8.4 billion pounds of products are returned to online sellers, according to the National Retail Federation. The typical solution from retailers is to send the roughly 17% of their inventory made up of returns to a landfill, regardless of the condition of the products. Most Read from Fast Company It’s a problem that sellers have little incentive to solve. Since dumping product can be written off as the cost of doing business in profit and loss stat ...

Core Insights - Assurant, Inc. has entered a strategic collaboration with Plug to enhance the customer experience in the certified pre-owned device market [1][8] - The partnership aims to provide customers with a 12-month limited warranty, a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, and free shipping, while ensuring rigorous quality checks [2][3] - Assurant's investment is expected to accelerate Plug's growth and support sustainability efforts by promoting a circular economy [3][4] Company Strategy - The collaboration allows Assurant to integrate its protection plans and warranties into Plug's direct-to-consumer platform, creating new revenue streams [4][8] - This partnership enhances Assurant's brand presence in the consumer space and improves asset efficiency, positioning the company for long-term profitability [4] Market Performance - Assurant's shares have experienced a year-to-date decline of 10.8%, influenced by increased policyholder benefits and macroeconomic factors [5]