Locus is an AI-native logistics technology company focused on helping businesses optimize delivery and fulfillment operations. Chief Revenue Officer Subhro Chakraborty leads the company’s global go-to-market strategy and revenue growth, building on previous leadership roles at Capillary Technologies, Adobe, and Dell. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Locus Chief Revenue Officer Subhro Chakraborty to learn more about delivery performance, returns, customer experience, and AI-driven logistics.
Subhro Chakraborty’s Background
When asked about his background, Chakraborty shared:
My career has been focused on driving growth, market expansion, and business transformation in the technology sector.
Before taking on my current role as Chief Revenue Officer at Locus, I held positions at Capillary Technologies, Adobe, and Dell, focusing on building high-performance teams and scaling businesses.
I’m most passionate about helping innovative companies expand and grow sustainably.
Delivery Performance And Brand Perception
When asked what the data reveals about how delivery performance influences overall consumer perception of a brand, Chakraborty explained:
Customers have high expectations for delivery. Amazon has set a standard that consumers now want from all deliveries: detailed tracking, an accurate estimated delivery window, fast delivery, and seamless returns.
Our survey also revealed that delivery performance impacts a consumer’s perception of a brand for over 9 in 10 respondents.
As a result, we’re seeing brands increasingly treat delivery partners as an extension of their own company and values, and being more selective with who they trust to deliver their products to their customers.
Returns Pain Points
When asked which pain points in the returns process are most likely to drive customers away from a retailer, Chakraborty said:
We consistently see return fees cited as a top consumer complaint.
Our survey found that nearly 70% of consumers believe returns should be free, 32% of consumers would be less likely to purchase from a business with return fees or strict return policies, and 11.2% would switch to a competitor.
While the growth of online shopping in recent years has made it challenging for many brands to offer a free returns policy, they need to find a balance between cost control and the overall customer experience.
If they don’t, they risk losing customers.
Reducing Returns Costs And Complexity
When asked how retailers can reduce the cost and operational complexity of managing a growing volume of returns, Chakraborty explained:
Reverse logistics optimization has to be a top priority for supply chain leaders. Unoptimized returns lead to excessive time and cost and unhappy customers. Rising return volumes only complicate the equation.
To reduce the burden, retailers need intelligent systems that can automate and orchestrate the process and respond in real time to different conditions.
For instance, an AI agent can be tasked with deciding whether a return should go to a store, a warehouse, a consolidation point, or a partner location based on cost, capacity, item type, SLA requirements, and customer convenience.
It can also handle routine routing, pickup, validation, and planning decisions.
This ensures human teams are free for exceptions, fraud concerns, or more complex customer cases.
The Post-Purchase Customer Experience
When asked why the delivery and return experience is often overlooked in broader customer experience strategies and what that can cost retailers, Chakraborty said:
Many retailers still treat delivery and returns as an operational function, not core elements of the customer experience.
They invest heavily in the website, checkout flow, and in-store experience. But the post-purchase journey is where many customers’ final impression is formed.
To them, it doesn’t matter whether a missed delivery window was caused by the retailer, a warehouse, or a logistics partner. The retailer will own the experience in the customer’s mind.
When delivery and returns fall short, it damages trust, increases service costs, and makes customers more likely to shop elsewhere.
The Role Of Shipping Partners
When asked what role shipping partners play in shaping how customers feel about a brand after a purchase, Chakraborty explained:
Brands are now looking at delivery partners as an extension of their company and values, not just a functional vendor.
The top complaints from deliveries, as noted in our data, were missed delivery windows, last-minute cancellations, and packages left in unsafe locations.
All of these issues stem from carrier failures but will directly impact brand perception.
As a result, shipping partners have increased pressure to carry out a brand’s values, even in the last-mile.
Transparent Communication
When asked how important transparent, end-to-end communication is during the delivery and return process, Chakraborty said:
Nearly all, 96%, of consumers say proactive communication is essential to trusting a retailer.
For logistics providers, building step-by-step communications into the platform is critical not only to win consumer trust but also to attract retailers looking for platforms to keep buyers informed.
Selecting Logistics Partners
When asked what Locus recommends retailers prioritize when evaluating or selecting shipping and logistics partners, Chakraborty explained:
If I were a retailer looking for a shipping and logistics provider, this is what I’d do:
- Prioritize agility over predictions. $1 in agility equals $10 in forecasting; real-world disruptions render static plans obsolete quickly.
- Evaluate data infrastructure first. Partners cannot deliver AI-driven decisioning if the retailer’s data is siloed across the first, middle, and last mile.
- Look for dynamic re-optimization capability. The ability to respond to driver no-shows, route changes, and order modifications in minutes, not hours, is critical for customer trust.
Turning Returns Into A Competitive Advantage
When asked how retailers can turn a frictionless return experience into a competitive advantage that drives repeat purchases, Chakraborty concluded:
A frictionless experience gives shoppers more confidence to buy again. But it only works if retailers can manage the operational cost and complexity that comes with growing return volumes.
That requires strong reverse logistics orchestration.
With intelligent AI-native systems, retailers can recover inventory faster, reduce manual processing, lower transportation/handling costs, and issue refunds sooner.
That creates a better experience for shoppers, driving repeat purchases while protecting the business’s margins.
