Tag: returns

January 3, 2024

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 […]

December 27, 2023

Returns totaled $743 billion in 2023, amounting to 14.5% of all retail sales, according to a report from the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail. This means that for every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurred $145 million […]

December 19, 2023

Despite tight budgets and wariness about the economy, U.S. consumers have come through for retailers in 2023, and that has continued into the all-important fourth quarter. Even with some holiday promotions moving into October, Black Friday and Cyber Monday helped […]

October 26, 2023

UPS has agreed to acquire reverse-logistics solution Happy Returns from PayPal for an undisclosed amount. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. Happy Returns offers box-free, label-free returns for more than 800 merchant partners […]

August 11, 2023

A whopping 83% of U.K. consumers believe the online post-purchase experience could be significantly improved, but only 18% of U.K.-based retail leaders agree, according to a new study. “It’s becoming increasingly evident that the post-purchase experience shouldn’t be a secondary […]

July 26, 2023

You know why retailers’ efforts to reduce returns have been backfiring, but what about brands that have been making returns even easier and more accessible for customers? These retailers are making a good name for themselves at a time when […]

June 20, 2023

University research posits that offering product exchanges or gift cards for returns rather than crediting a customer’s card may be retail’s best option to reduce the cost of online returns. Consumers were found to be more open to spending money […]

April 12, 2023

Amazon.com has begun charging return fees on products brought to the UPS Store. The retail and technology giant has begun charging a $1.50 fee when customers drop off product returns at a UPS location instead of a nearby Amazon Fresh, […]

March 15, 2023

A study finds 69 percent of retailers treat returns as a cost of doing business, with only 19 percent having a strategic returns program in place. The study from Incisiv found most retailers lack clearly defined metrics to measure their […]

March 14, 2023

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. […]

January 26, 2023

One in four consumers are willing to pay return fees, according to Sendcloud. Major retailers like H&M and Zara have started charging customers for returns, and as a result one in four consumers revealed that they are willing to pay […]

December 28, 2022

To create an ideal customer experience, retailers need to look at the entire purchasing process — from browsing and checkout through to delivery and returns. Every interaction with a brand is pivotal in developing a repeat (or better yet, lifelong) […]

December 13, 2022

Amazon and Staples are piloting a new program that will see the office supply chain join a growing roster of brick-and-mortar retailers that accept returns on behalf of the ecommerce giant. “We have begun testing select Staples locations as drop-off […]

November 28, 2022

Consumers are returning more purchases than ever, especially with the growing convenience of online orders, but it is becoming an increasingly expensive problem for retailers. Last year alone, retailers lost $218 billion to ecommerce returns. With holiday shopping in full […]

November 8, 2022

In 2021, returns cost retailers a whopping $761 billion, or almost 17% of total U.S. retail sales. This year the powerful combination of the special sale dates in Q4 (like Target, Amazon and Walmart holding October Black Friday events) and […]

October 20, 2022

Amazon’s extension of the UPS option for seller-fulfilled returns underscores the two companies’ enduring ties, even as UPS reduces the share of its revenue from the online retail giant. Beyond its status as UPS’ largest customer, Amazon is also a […]

July 11, 2022

Mattress retailers face complicated operational problems when it comes to returns. Consumers expect to keep a mattress around nine years, and 81% are satisfied with their mattress, according to the International Sleep Products Association. But those shoppers who aren’t content […]

June 8, 2022

Zara may be in the midst of changing the parameters of e-commerce returns for apparel retailers. The company announced in May that U.K. customers will now be charged 1.95 pounds, or about $2.45, for customers to return online purchases to […]

April 29, 2022

Ecommerce returns are the new reality for retailers, but their rapid rise doesn’t have to crush conversion rates and profitability. Instead, brands should put themselves in shoppers’ shoes. Consider how returns are central to the customer experience and can create […]

March 17, 2022

Retailers around the world have felt the impact of the supply chain crisis. While the problem may appear too daunting to solve, there are several opportunities that brands can seize to mitigate loss and build their customer support. How Did […]