David Mauerer first realized the pain of returning items when he worked at Tampa-based tech company Teamwork Commerce. But what started as a slight inconvenience became nearly impossible when he added children to the mix.
“I was used to returns in the B2B space, and I was familiar with the process, but as a dad with two little kids, it’s crazy making a return with toddlers,” Mauerer said. “So, I thought there has to be a better way.”
Enter Convee, a Clearwater-based startup that aims to be the DoorDash of returning items. Customers can head to Convee’s website or app, input the item they wish to return — for example, Nike running shoes — and state whether it needs an in-person return or to be shipped back.
They can place their item that needs to be returned outside their doorstep, and someone with Convee will pick it up and take care of the rest. Customers can either pay a flat rate of $6 per package return or opt-in to a subscription, which is $11 monthly.
“One thing we’re seeing that’s interesting is an older generation uses our app,” Mauerer said. “They buy it online and can’t, or don’t want to, drive. And then, of course, we’re seeing my use case: a dad with kids.”
The startup, which launched in September 2022, is still in the early stages but is seeing roughly double the monthly returns. The company has four full-time employees, with Mauerer planning to add part-time drivers who are not gig economy workers but are fully employed with the company. The drivers would go to a warehouse, sort through the returns, batch it out and then return the items.
Convee, a play on the word “convenient,” is not Mauerer’s first foray into the startup world. He is a part owner of Teamwork Commerce, which provides software solutions — including point of sales, order management and analytics — to the retail world. He also had a startup in his early 20s, focused on high school sports fundraising.
“I’m interested in solving this problem and have an advantage knowing the returns side from the business side of things,” Mauerer said of Convee. “I know I can solve this problem and there is a problem to be solved. That’s the focus right now.”
The company is entirely bootstrapped and is seeking a seed round for an undisclosed amount.
Its model is only deployed in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, but Mauerer plans to expand to Orlando and Miami eventually.
“Tampa is a great model for us because it’s not a small city, but it’s not like New York City,” he said. “I think it’s a good model to try out before you bring it around the country because you have a great size to play with. And as I’m learning the [local] startup environment, it’s pretty cool.”
Eventually, Mauerer hopes to contract with retail giants like Target or Publix, allowing users to return items to stores they did not purchase the original article from, similar to how Whole Foods takes Amazon returns.
“Doing an Amazon return at Whole Foods is pretty great, but what if you can walk into a Publix and give them your Target return?” Mauerer said. “So we’re looking for a partner with that in mind, and I think that would be an amazing experience.”
