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Welcome to the world of retail returns, an expensive, cumbersome yet essential part of the industry. The number of returns is growing and managing them is critically important to maintaining margins and customer satisfaction. of all purchased goods were returned to retailers. of all purchased goods were returned to retailers.
Christmas and end-of-year sales are big business for retailers but they also drive enormous returns. The rise in post-Christmas returns can be attributed to several trends, with the growth of eCommerce being a leading factor. This helps lower material use and reduce space in delivery trucks, ultimately lowering emissions.”
Geekplus robots are now in use at all three of Happy Returns’ Hubs. Image courtesy Happy Returns) Inside a large warehouse in Pennsylvania, dozens of black robots dart and swirl across a polished concrete floor. Were inside one of the three Happy Returns Hubs across the U.S. The rate of goods returned in the U.S.
Bed Threads, The Iconic, and Oroton ranked ahead of other retailers in November for overall returns experience in the Online CX Index, Australias first and only online retailer performance platform powered by real data. A seamless return experience can turn a frustrating situation into an opportunity to build trust and loyalty.
Retailers might want to grimly add and product returns to that list of lifes inevitabilities. consumers returned $890 billion in merchandise in 2024, equaling 16.9% Charges for returns should be on an exception basis only. I think its fair to say that very few retailers are super-explicit about their return policy, said Black.
During the pandemic, ecommerce returns majorly impacted retailers profit margins. As customers return to in-store shopping, retailers are continuing to face an increase in returns from online and in-store sales. This holiday season, consumers who frequently make returns may be in for a surprise.
According to PwC, businesses that reduce friction for consumers and empower all employees to make things right whether through returns, price adjustments or other policies bring higher customer satisfaction and more forgiveness. Delivering a smooth and frictionless post-purchase experience should be a top priority for every retailer.
Seeking to compete with ultra-low-price sites such as Shein and Temu , Amazon has introduced Amazon Haul , featuring maximum prices of $20 and one- to two-week shipping times. There have been rumors of the move for months, and now the new shop is officially rolling out in beta. It will be available to U.S.
Building a future-proof tech stack To survive and thrive during Black Friday, retailers must invest in tech solutions that integrate seamlessly with their current systems – inventory management, CRMs, and shipping tools. Optimising shipping with automation Shipping logistics are a make-or-break factor during Black Friday.
It’s meant to be quite simple for a shopper, but as an ecommerce retailer, you know it’s not that easy — especially if the customer changes their mind and wants to return said magical shipment back to your shop. What happens next, by way of return experience, most certainly impacts whether they will purchase from your business again.
This means that it’s not enough for products to be delivered quickly – customers also want to know that if those items aren’t quite what they expected, they can be returned just as quickly and easily. According to Insider , total retail returns were projected to grow 2.2% As it turns out, this is quite an expensive problem to solve.
Ecommerce returns are the new reality for retailers, but their rapid rise doesn’t have to crush conversion rates and profitability. Consider how returns are central to the customer experience and can create a competitive advantage, differentiate a brand and increase customer lifetime value. Turn Returns Upside Down.
In such times, shipments get delayed and even lost, shipping costs and storage costs spiral and customer frustration increases when goods fail to arrive. Using AI for returns optimisation Another growing supply-chain issue for retailers is returns. Businesses are getting increased returns every year.
Returns provide brands and retailers the opportunity to delight their customers. market saw over $400B in returns in 2020. If this dollar value were a proxy for revenues, the returns channel would be the second largest global retailer behind Walmart. That is a significant amount of capital tied up in the returns channel!
Hubbed is setting a new standard for e-commerce returns with the upcoming launch of its box-free and label-free solution across its entire Parcelpoint network. With over 2500 locations nationwide, this innovation is designed to enhance convenience and customer experience for e-commerce returns.
Ask any retailer or consumer and they’ll agree on this point: ecommerce returns are a problem — albeit for diametrically opposed reasons. Meanwhile, more than three in four (78%) consumers say they’ve had an inconvenient online returns experience recently, per Pitney Bowes latest BOXpoll survey. consumers love the USPS.
As economic pressures persist and competition increases, customer expectations for shipping and delivery grow. Shippit’s latest State of Shipping Report for 2024 offers a comprehensive look into current trends and challenges facing retailers, shedding light on how businesses can adapt and thrive in this dynamic environment.
To that end, 35% of survey respondents said selling on marketplaces allows them to offer faster and more cost-effective shipping. Partnering with a marketplace also means brands dont have to manage the returns process, which is another growing challenge.
Through the connection with Omni, the Maven chatbot is able to handle a broad range of customer inquiries directly, including complex requests such as shipping status, order changes, cancellations, returns and exchanges.
After a successful trial, Petco is expanding its partnership with PayPal -owned reverse logistics solution Happy Returns to all its stores nationwide. Petco customers can now bring ecommerce orders they need to return with them while running errands for their pets, with no box or shipping label required.
DoorDash has introduced Package Pickup, allowing consumers across the country to have the service deliver up to five return items per trip to UPS, FedEx or the USPS. Consumers can attach prepaid shipping labels to their returns or send a shipping QR code directly to their “Dasher” via the DoorDash app. “We
Not only do these technologies improve throughput in most cases; they also enable greater flexibility in meeting expectations related to fast shipping and free returns. Additionally, shoppers increasingly demand ultra-fast deliveries, highly flexible return policies and more personalized online experiences.
GoodwillFinds — the online ecommerce platform of the 120 -year-old nonprofit Goodwill — has teamed up with return assurance platform Seel to better “compete with other digital resale websites” by offering returns. The return assurance allows them to make a seamless, hassle-free return within seven days.
The ease of online shopping is partly driven by flexible return policies. Gen Z often buys multiple items, tries them on at home and returns what doesnt fit. Across generations, 24% of online clothing purchases are returned. With Gen Zs preference for mobile shopping, optimizing websites and apps for mobile users is critical.
North American retail and ecommerce businesses now lose a total of $3 for every dollar of fraud they experience, and as mentioned earlier, most customers wont return to a site after a fraud experience. Shipping and Beyond Unfortunately, the security and fraud risks continue after orders are approved.
Online return fraud cost U.S. For every $100 in returned merchandise accepted, U.S. to return fraud, the NRF has calculated. While it is possible for shoppers to commit return fraud innocently simply by mis-reading the returns policy, a significant number of returns are the result of premeditation and malicious intent.
It might seem counterintuitive for retailers to focus on returns when they are so focused on trying to convince customers to buy products in the first place (and rightly so). However, return policies actually have a major influence on whether shoppers go through with a transaction — particularly for increasingly popular online purchases.
The pandemic has brought about long-term changes for both business operations and consumer expectations, and 2021 taught us how far removed we are from ever returning to the old “normal.” Shipping and delivery will continue to play a major role in how retailers, both small and large, perform and provide effective customer experiences.
Asda and Amazon have launched a new parcel pick-up and label-free, box-free return service at over 700 of the supermarket’s stores. The tie-up is designed to make shopping at the grocery giant more convenient for customers, who will be able to do their weekly shopping alongside collecting and returning their parcels in one trip.
Long viewed as a necessary evil, the retail returns process is emerging as an unexpected avenue for growth and customer engagement. In the rapidly expanding ecommerce market, projected to reach $3 billion in 2023, a significant 20% to 30% of online purchases end up being returned. Speed-to-restock is key in the returns cycle.
For anyone who has made a purchase online, returns are part of the standard online buying process — so much so that, according to a recent U.S. Consumer Study , 85% of consumers check a company’s returns policy before even making a purchase when shopping online, and 68% of U.S. That same report identified the top aspects that U.S.
Marking a significant shift in ThredUp ’s value proposition to consumers, the resale marketplace testing out a number of new initiatives to improve its margins, including new return policies and fees for its “cleanout kit” consignment services. In addition to increasing the “restocking fee” for returnable items from $1.99
Growing consumer expectations of free delivery and free returns are placing pressure on retailers who on one hand recognise customer demand, but on the other are trying to reduce their operating costs. Others might order two or three sizes of the same item and return the ones that don’t fit. “It’s
The Online CX Index, a partnership between Inside Retail and Humii, covers the entire website experience through checkout, delivery and even returns, evaluating eight key criteria based on up to 200 data points. Over 50 per cent of retailers Online CX Index tracks still do not provide the option. “Consumers hate unpleasant surprises.
Returns are, like it or not, as much a part of retail operations as the sales themselves. The exact return rate varies among different verticals and individual retailers, but online sales consistently generate higher levels of returns compared to brick-and-mortar. That means you’re out of business.
Shipping errors are reduced and checkout is easier, protecting the customers overall experience with your brand. Every country has its own unique address formats, and inconsistencies can lead to costly errors in cross-border shipping.
Funderburk and Zamansky shared how the company is doubling down on its human-centered AI approach to create a more customer-centric shopping experience and return the company to growth. The customers Fix is shipped and they have three days to test out the items and select which ones they want to buy and which ones theyll return.
Prepping click-and-collect orders, picking and packing ship-from-store orders, managing store-to-store transfers, etc. — And process returns of stuff people don’t want! Associates have to be omnichannel fulfillment specialists. the fulfillment scenarios really are endless. And don’t forget that they need to sell stuff!
For example, the dockworker strike ended quickly, but still caused shipping backlogs. Meanwhile, it looks like Great Lakes shipping could be affected by higher-than-average precipitation. And don’t forget: after the holidays comes the deluge of returns. More snow could slow down trucking both in the Midwest and Mountain West.
Additionally, if we promise to ship something by a specific date, they expect it to arrive on time. We discovered that most of our customers already have their shipping address and payment information saved in their profiles. Customers also expect us to have what they need when they need it.
Tara Daly, senior director of product marketing at Loop Returns , shares with Inside Retail advice on getting started in the US market, some tips on cross-border shipping and logistics – including managing returns in a way that builds customer loyalty – and how to drive repeat business. Begin with baby steps, she advocates.
While free and fast delivery is a high bar, retailers can use free shipping to their advantage, helping them grow their customer base and increase customer loyalty. A customer-centric approach to deliveries and returns is one of the best competitive advantages retailers can gain to meet the demands of all generations.
They want seamless experiencesfrom clear product information and localised payment options to transparent shipping costs and easy returns. Currency conversion, language barriers, shipping logistics, customs regulations, and local taxes can be overwhelming if not managed properly. However, these challenges are not insurmountable.
billion in gross merchandise volume (total spend before fees, discounts and returns) up from $4.5 With respect to pricing specifically, also take into consideration Amazons free shipping minimums. Non-prime members pay for shipping on all orders below $59, which can cost around $10 to $15, depending on the order.
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