At this time of year, all the malls and retail stores are packed with people doing their Christmas shopping. But most people don't think about the massive amount of holiday shopping returns that happen just after Christmas.
Every year, billions of dollars in products are returned, which means a massive amount of consumer waste, as most of these perfectly good products cannot be re-entered into the retail environment without being assessed.
That's where Langley resident Mark Funk comes in with his successful retail chain Big Box Outlet stores which has found an eco-friendly solution to the problem of consumer returns.
Like the Island of Misfit Toys in the classic movie Rudolph the Red Noised Reindeer, Big Box Outlet has the ability to sort, restore and repair damaged or opened merchandise and sell them again at discounted prices.
Funk is the CEO and founder who came up with the idea of reselling slightly damaged or liquidated items.
Big Box Outlet Store is a chain of 12 retail locations in B.C., and another three locations in the USA that sells new (unwanted) customer returns from all the major big box chains and online retailers like Costco, Walmart and the Bay.
Funk, who lives in Langley with his wife and three kids, has his head office in Aldergrove. This Big Box Outlet is also the distribution centre at 26868 56 Avenue. He got the idea to use what is called 'reverse logistics' to create a real market for the bargain hunter as well as helping the environment.
"My father helped me buy an existing business back in 1985 that was one store and had a salvage contract with CN Rail (in Surrey). We have been able to grow it into 12 stores in B.C. and three stores in USA since then," said Funk.
There are three Big Box Outlet stores in Langley. One is at the entrance to the Golden Ears Bridge at 9680 201 Street, another is in Murrayville at 22611 Fraser Hwy. There is also an online store at bigboxoutletstore.ca.
Living in the consumer world that we live in, the amount of product being produced and returned can produce a lot of waste. Luckily, most products don't end up in the landfill, said Funk.
"The industry standard is now to utilize reverse logistics specialists like ourselves to recover what would be lost dollars and re-enter perfectly fine merchandise into the marketplace," he said. "Our greatest satisfaction is working with large Retail Chains that see the value that we provide them and allowing us to re-sell the product to customers that love a bargain."
Big Box Outlet has a loyal customer base who frequent the store, hunting for the next big deal. The store could get a shipment of outdoor patio sets, sofas, electronics or clothing, all from major retail chains, but now being sold at discount. Getting that good deal is exciting, Funk said.
Living in Langley, Funk said part of being successful is giving back to the community when the opportunity arises. That's why he is currently working with Southgate Church in Langley to help the fire victims who lost their homes in the Paddington Station condo fires Dec. 11. Funk is committing more than $10,000 in gift cards to families in distress.
Big Box is the largest retail outlet of its kind in Western Canada, with an entire processing plant dedicated to sorting, restoring, and re-certifying merchandise right here in Langley. Big Box Outlet employs more than 200 people across its 12 stores. To learn more go to bigboxoutletstore.ca.