# Hammer Down at Shoptalk Chicago: Making Deliveries Faster, Cheaper & More Sustainable for Greater Retail Success

By Mike Bush · Published 2024-11-25 · Updated 2026-05-19 · Retail on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/retail/hammer-down-shoptalk-chicago-shipbob-pitney-bowes-silq-returnbear
Creator hub: Hammer Down

> Retailers are racing to slash delivery costs and environmental impact while meeting Amazon-sized customer expectations ahead of peak season

## Key points

- ShipBob has scaled to 55 global fulfillment centers, giving mid-market brands Amazon-comparable delivery capabilities.
- Pitney Bowes' ShipAccel platform consolidates access to discounted rates across multiple national and regional carriers.
- ReturnBear reduces emissions and costs by treating consumers as first-mile carriers and consolidating return shipments before routing them back.

Block Field

As the retail industry prepares for the holiday season, supply chain challenges and innovations are at the forefront of every retailer's mind. With consumer expectations shaped by giants like Amazon, businesses are scrambling to deliver faster, more efficiently, and more sustainably. At [Shoptalk Chicago](https://fall.shoptalk.com/), supply chain leaders gathered to discuss how logistics are evolving to meet these demands. Did you know that online returns alone accounted for a whopping [$212 billion in 2022](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2023/10/03/total-cost-of-online-returns-breaks-200-billion-can-retail-afford-it/)?

> Online returns alone accounted for a whopping $212 billion in 2022.

So, how are companies [streamlining supply chains](https://marketscale.com/industries/transportation/rising-demand-in-the-supply-chain-industry-a-golden-era-for-new-talent/) to improve speed, reduce costs, and meet consumer expectations? What role do technology and sustainability play in these transformations?

In this special episode of [*Hammer Down*](https://marketscale.com/shows/hammer-down/), host [Mike Bush](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbush/) interviews industry leaders live at ShopTalk Chicago, held between October 16 and 18 at the McCormick Place Convention Center. Featuring insights from **Marina Golemis** of **ShipBob**, **Robin Ponton** of **Pitney Bowes**, **Ram Radhakrishnan** of **Silq**, and **Bernadette Hunter** of **ReturnBear**, this episode dives into the intricacies of supply chain logistics and their impact on retail success.

### Main Points of Discussion

- **From Startup to Global Network:** [Marina Golemis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinakogan/) explains [ShipBob's](https://www.shipbob.com/) journey from a small Chicago team to operating 55 global fulfillment centers, focusing on empowering brands with direct-to-consumer solutions that rival Amazon's delivery model.
- **Optimizing Ecommerce Shipping:** [Robin T. Ponton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robintpontonmba/), an Ecommerce Sales Consultant at [Pitney Bowes](https://www.pitneybowes.com/us), discusses how their ShipAccel platform integrates with various national and regional carriers, offering discounted rates from providers like UPS, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal Service.
- **Sustainability and Returns:** [Bernadette Hunter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdhunter/) discusses how [ReturnBear](https://www.returnbear.com/) is making returns more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly by using consumers as the first-mile carriers and consolidating shipments to reduce emissions.
- **Logistics Innovation:** [Ram Radhakrishnan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsid/), the CEO of [Silq](https://www.onesilq.com/), highlights the importance of digitizing fragmented supply chain data, addressing volatility in global production, and minimizing wasted container space to save costs and reduce carbon footprints.

### About the Guests

- **Marina Golemis** is the SVP of North American Sales at ShipBob, an ecommerce fulfillment provider that integrates seamlessly with platforms like Shopify and TikTok to help brands streamline omnichannel logistics.
- **Robin T. Ponton** is an Ecommerce Sales Consultant at Pitney Bowes, leveraging APIs and automation to enhance shipping efficiency for small-to-medium and enterprise-level clients.
- **Ram Radhakrishnan** is the Founder and CEO of Silq, a company specializing in factory inspections, freight forwarding, and supply chain optimization for U.S.-bound goods.
- **Bernadette Hunter** is the Chief Revenue Officer at ReturnBear, a reverse logistics innovator transforming the returns experience for consumers and brands alike.

Tags: Hammer Down, Mike Bush, Pitney Bowes, ReturnBear, ShipBob, ShopTalk Chicago, ShopTalk Fall, Silq

---
Source: MarketScale, https://www.marketscale.com/industries/retail/hammer-down-shoptalk-chicago-shipbob-pitney-bowes-silq-returnbear. Published for AI indexing and citation; cite the canonical URL. Site guide for agents: https://www.marketscale.com/llms.txt