Behind every online order, a lot has to go right. A late delivery, lost package or disputed payment can happen anywhere across the supply chain and cost money and customer trust.
For growing brands, those moments add up fast.
Small business, big exposure: That was true for Buru, a premium apparel brand known for limited-run styles and repeat shoppers. As the company grew across e-commerce, pop-up shops and wholesale, each order carried more risk. At one point, Buru was moving more than $20,000 in inventory for pop-up operations, so even one loss could sting.
UPS was already Buru’s shipping partner. But as order volume increased, co-founder Brett Hutchinson needed deeper visibility to guide decisions before shipment.
That’s where UPS Capital® came in. Through faster claims support with InsureShield® Shipping Insurance paired with additional risk identification through the CommerceShield™ system, Buru gained more control over two moments that matter most to growing e-commerce brands: resolving issues quickly afterward and protecting sales before shipment. As Brett put it, “Control wasn’t a feature. It became our future.”
Fix it fast: Delivery surprises are part of doing business online. In fact, nearly half of surveyed consumers reported a recent negative shipping experience.
At Buru, the claims process was manual and slow, with each claim taking up to 20–25 minutes of hands-on work that often dragged on for days.
By partnering with UPS Capital, Buru could file claims in minutes, and most were resolved within 24 hours. That helped the team act faster. About 20% of affected orders can now be replaced right away, compared with almost none before.
“If they want a replacement, we send it out overnight because we know we’re covered,” Brett said.
Catch it early: The second opportunity came earlier in the order journey, before a package left the warehouse.
Payment disputes, often resulting in a reversal of charge, can be expensive for online sellers. For growing brands, getting decisions right before shipment is critical.
CommerceShield™ helps businesses spot potential risk before they ship, giving them the information to decide when an order needs extra review or a different delivery approach. For Buru, that visibility helped protect revenue while keeping the customer experience in focus.
“For small businesses, every order matters,” said Archita Prasad, President at UPS. “Our goal is to give customers more confidence and control, so they can protect revenue, resolve issues faster and keep their customers coming back.”
The lesson is simple: Better information leads to smarter decisions. And for growing businesses, those decisions can protect both revenue and customer trust.
For Buru, that meant faster claims resolution, smarter shipping decisions and a smoother customer experience. For UPS, it is one more example of how innovation can help small businesses grow with confidence.
Want to dive deeper? Read the full case study: Behind the Seams