EP 52: Fashion Returns, Recommerce & AI-Powered Resale with Patturn Founders Dennis & Davis Hoang

In this episode of All Things Circular, host Peter Evans sits down with Dennis and Davis, co-founders of Patturn, to explore how technology is transforming one of the most complex challenges in retail: fashion returns.Patturn has built a recommerce operating system designed specifically for apparel, footwear, and accessories, helping brands and retailers process, grade, and resell returned inventory at scale. From receiving and inspection to pricing and multi-channel resale, their platform tackles the full lifecycle of returned fashion products, turning what is often seen as a loss into a recoverable revenue stream.The conversation dives into the reality of modern e-commerce returns, where most items come back in near-new condition due to sizing issues or customer preference rather than damage. Instead of sending these products to liquidation or landfill, Patturn focuses on maximizing value through recommerce, leveraging marketplaces like eBay, Poshmark, and Depop to move inventory quickly and efficiently.A key theme of the episode is the complexity of what the team calls “single-SKU logistics.” Unlike traditional retail, where products are sold in bulk quantities, returned fashion items are often one-of-one unique in size, condition, and style. Patturn’s system is built to handle this level of granularity, effectively serializing inventory and distributing it across multiple marketplaces in real time to maximize sell-through and pricing.The episode also explores how AI is beginning to reshape recommerce, from automated pricing and listing optimization to the future potential of AI-driven shopping agents that could source secondhand products on behalf of consumers. As resale continues to grow, the ability to intelligently match supply with demand across fragmented marketplaces is becoming a critical advantage.Dennis and Davis also pull back the curtain on a common misconception in the industry: that buying return pallets is an easy path to profit. In reality, extracting value from returned goods requires infrastructure, technology, and expertise, something most first-time buyers quickly discover the hard way.Whether you’re a retailer looking to improve return recovery, a reseller navigating secondary markets, or simply interested in the future of fashion recommerce, this episode offers a practical look at how technology, marketplaces, and operations are converging to unlock value after first use.Visit our website to learn more:https://allthingscircular.comConnect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-c-evans-phd-217b8/Connect with Dennis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-hoang1/Connect with Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davis-hoang-mba-079a8932/SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW ALONG!Our podcast focuses mostly on:Circular Economy, Sustainable Living, Sustainability, Eco-Friendly, Recycling, Zero Waste, Environmentalism, Green Economy, Climate Change, Business Sustainability, Waste Management, Renewable Resources, Eco-Innovation, Supply Chain, Business, Circularity, Environmental Impact, Life Cycle Assessment, Upcycling, Downcycling, Closed Loop System, Sustainable Practices, Resource Recovery, Circular Strategies, Podcast, Alternative Materials, Reverse Logistics, ITAD, Lifecycle Services, Product Sourcing, and more!