Optoro Is Shutting Down Excess Returned Goods Marketplace BULQ, Effective July 28, 2025
Reverse logistics and returns management company Optoro is shuttering their BULQ marketplace for open box, returned goods, and excess inventory liquidation as of July 28, 2025.
The company has not issued a statement as to the reason for the abrupt shut down, but an FAQ on BULQ's website provides details about when the business will cease operations.
BULQ Closure
When is BULQ closing?
New inventory will be listed through July 25, 2025, and the last day to place an order through our website or the BULQ app will be July 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET.
How can I check on my orders after July 28?
Although there will be no inventory listed, the site will remain active for the next several months to allow you to check on past orders and retrieve any details you may need.
What should I do if I need help with an order after July 28?
You will still be able to work with our Customer Care team to resolve any issues you may have via help@bulq.com.
What will happen to my account after July 28?
Your account will remain active to check on past orders for a few months before bulq.com is officially shut down. We recommend downloading any data you may need from your account ASAP to avoid losing information you may want.
What about the BULQ App?
The BULQ app is no longer available to download via app stores and can be removed from your device.
BULQ had previously gained traction during the pandemic, winning contracts from major retailers and marketplace to handle liquidation of their excess returned and open box inventory, including a partnership with eBay announced in 2020.
That partnership was touted as a win-win for customers of both companies - giving Optoro's retail and brand customers an easy way to unload their excess inventory while providing eBay sellers the opportunity to seamlessly purchase and resell liquidation lots they might otherwise not have had access to.
This offering not only supports gig economy sellers during a year of record unemployment, but also unlocks a new resale channel for Optoro’s retail and brand customers, enabling them to immediately sell excess and returned inventory on eBay through BULQ®, Optoro’s proprietary B2B channel. Retailers predict that the growth of ecommerce will lead to record return rates, as online purchases can have three to five times the return rates of brick-and-mortar. This solution provides a new, automated channel for retailers to resell these goods, both reducing waste and boosting their bottom lines.
Through BULQ on eBay, sellers can seamlessly purchase and resell liquidation lots on the eBay marketplace that include returned and excess merchandise from some of the largest and best-known brands in the industry. Once the lot is purchased, this first-of-its-kind solution allows sellers to efficiently pull product information from the lots and create individual listings to edit, review and publish directly to their eBay store. The collaboration helps make the resale of sought-after merchandise from leading retail brands more convenient and accessible for sellers looking to reach eBay’s millions of buyers.
The BULQ eBay store has since then been deleted and is no longer active on the site.
BULQ also reportedly offered overstock or excess goods from major retailers like Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Lowes, Wayfair, and Target.
But in 2024, it was reported that Target was possible going direct to consumers to resell their returned and excess inventory, or at least had possibly branched out to partner with other companies to assist in the liquidation process, with the discovery of Bullseye Deals accounts on eBay and Poshmark.
Cale Guthrie Weissman
The potential loss of access to inventory from Target and other retailers could have had a negative impact on BULQ's business, though it's not clear how big a role that may have played in Optoro's sudden decision to shut the site down.
Stay tuned for updates in this developing story and let us know in the comments below how BULQ's closure will impact your online reselling business!
