How Nation Athletics BJJ Automated Returns and Achieved 854% ROI with Return Prime

Executive Summary 

Nation Athletics BJJ is a fast-growing combat sports and lifestyle brand that designs premium apparel for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) community. Built on performance, design, and authenticity, the brand’s growth accelerated quickly, but so did the complexity of managing post-purchase operations.

As order volumes increased, manual return workflows began creating friction for both customers and the internal team. Delays, scattered communication, and operational inefficiencies were starting to erode the seamless experience Nation Athletics was known for.

To address these challenges, the brand partnered with Return Prime, an automated returns and exchange management platform built for modern D2C businesses. The collaboration transformed Nation Athletics’ returns process into a fully automated, customer-friendly, and revenue-positive system.

Within months, the brand achieved an 854% ROI, reduced return approval times to just 1 day, and freed up team bandwidth to focus on community and growth initiatives. What was once an operational bottleneck became a profitable, scalable advantage — proving that automation and customer experience can go hand in hand.

About Nation Athletics BJJ 

Founded during the pandemic, Nation Athletics BJJ has quickly become a staple in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and combat sports community. Known for its premium-quality hoodies, rash guards, and no-gi shorts, the brand blends high performance with bold design.

As sales volumes surged, Nation Athletics’ mission extended beyond creating great apparel - They aimed to provide a great purchase experience and equally strong post-purchase experience. However, managing returns and exchanges manually soon began draining resources and profitability. 

What should have been a smooth customer service touchpoint was turning into a margin-draining operational challenge.

Challenges: Returns Were Eroding Efficiency and Margins

As Nation scaled, their manual returns process became increasingly complex and costly.

• Customer Friction: Customers lacked a fast, transparent way to initiate returns or exchanges, leading to delays and dissatisfaction.
• Operational Burden: The team was spending excessive time on return approvals, logistics coordination, and manual workflows — diverting focus from growth.
• Margin Leakage: Their previous returns app took a portion of shipping fees, converting returns into a loss-making activity.

‍

“As our order volume grew, returns started taking too much of our team’s bandwidth. We wanted a process that was as smooth as our shopping experience — fast, transparent, and easy for customers.”
— Marc Sharma, Founder, Nation Athletics BJJ

The Solution : Turning Efficiency into Profitability

To eliminate inefficiencies and boost revenue retention, Nation Athletics BJJ implemented Return Prime, an automated return and exchange management platform. The improvements were immediate - automation replaced manual effort, and the post-purchase journey became super smooth.

‍

• Self-Serve Automated Platform: Customers initiate returns or exchanges directly from Nation’s website, cutting down manual calls and service overhead.
• Custom Return Policies: Configurable eligibility rules, timelines, and auto-approvals designed around their business needs.
• Smart Exchange Recommendation: Customers are encouraged to choose exchanges over refunds by being presented with alternative products, effectively reducing revenue loss.
• Seamless Logistics Integration: Return Prime syncs with logistics providers to generate return labels and schedule pickups. This ensured a smooth return experience.
• Centralized Dashboard: Real-time visibility into return/exchange activities and trends, enabling the team to make smarter, data-driven decisions.

“Prior to Return Prime we were using a returns app that would take a portion of the shipping coverage fee. Switching to return prime helped us take full control of the process, and we actually make a profit or break even on our return shipping now as we take 100% of the return coverage fee we charge.”  
— Marc Sharma, Founder, Nation Athletics BJJ

‍The Results

Nation Athletics BJJ turned its returns process into a competitive advantage, both operationally and financially.

• 854% ROI
• 1-Day Return Approval, significantly improving customer satisfaction
• 0 shipping coverage fees - returns management was no longer a cost centre
• Reliable automation, freeing the team to focus on brand community and business growth

The Takeaway

For Nation Athletics BJJ, Return Prime proved that automation isn’t just about saving time,  it’s about unlocking revenue potential. By simplifying returns and exchanges, the brand achieved:

• A frictionless customer experience
• Increased operational efficiency
• Profitable returns management

In the competitive combat sports apparel space, Nation Athletics turned efficiency into its competitive edge — achieving over 800% ROI while building a scalable foundation for future growth.