Returns
What Consumers Truly Think of Returns
How and why are consumers returning their purchased items? What does an “ideal” returns policy look like? Are free returns still a thing? Find out now!
Jun 09, 2022
Retail Dive: Zara Makes Significant Changes to its Returns Policy
Zara announced new changes to returns system, charging customers for returns of online purchases to third-party drop-off points.
Jun 09, 2022
E-Commerce Returns in the Post-COVID Era
Check out our key findings from Shopify's E-Commerce Return Rates Report covering the state of e-commerce returns in the global market.
Jun 08, 2022
Everything You Should Know About E-commerce Logistics
What exactly is e-commerce logistics? And how can retailers better elevate their e-commerce experience in this post-pandemic world?
Mar 31, 2022
TechCrunch: DoorDash Pilots Package Returns to the Nearest Post Office, UPS or FedEx Location
DoorDash is testing a new feature that lets customers return their packages without having to go down to the post office or standalone drop-off points.
Mar 17, 2022
Alcott Global Podcast: Transforming Reverse Logistics with Gaurav Saran CEO of ReverseLogix
In this episode of Leaders in Tech and E-commerce Podcast, Alcott Global invited Gaurav Saran, the founder, and CEO of ReverseLogix.
Mar 30, 2021
Top E-Commerce Events Every Retailer Should Attend in 2021
Don’t miss out on these handpicked e-commerce events and meet with e-commerce experts! Grow your network with this list of e-commerce events 2021!
Jan 21, 2021
Ecommerce News: Otto Group Found that Return Rates have Dropped Due to COVID-19
According to Germany-based Otto Group, one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies, return rates have decreased by 5%.
Aug 11, 2020
How To Prepare Yourself For Peak Returns Season
Retailers face a peak returns season in the first quarter of the year; with billions worth of purchases set to be returned. Keep these in mind as you plan.
Jan 11, 2019
Why Your Return Policy Is Crucial To Your Success
Your return policy might be one of the last things you might think of to encourage sales. Here's why you need to consider it and ensure it's optimized.
Nov 21, 2018
Trending Topics
Member Exclusives
Data Insights
Breaking News
Industry Events
Track your parcel here
Event Highlights
North America
Retail & E-Commerce
NRF 2023 Retail's Big Show
Jan 14 - 17, 2023 | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center | NYC
Global
Logistics & Supply Chain
Connect Global 2023
Jan 30 - Feb 03, 2023 | Virtual/Online
North America
Logistics & Supply Chain
Manifest 2023
Jan 31 - Feb 03, 2023 | Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, USA
Europe
Retail & E-Commerce
ECDM Expo NORTH 2023
Feb 11 - 12, 2023 | Vellideion Conference Center, Thessaloniki
Europe
Retail & E-Commerce
E-commerce Berlin Expo 2023
Feb 23, 2023 | STATION Berlin, Luckenwalder Str. 4-6, Berlin, Germany
More discoveries
Supply Chain Dive: Target Debuts Larger Store Format to Focus on E-Commerce Fulfillment
Nov 25, 2022
How Leading Carriers & Retailers Are Preparing for Peak Season 2022
Nov 24, 2022
Guest Post: How to Create an Online Store in 8 Easy Steps
Nov 24, 2022
Retail Dive: Shoppers Will Spend $500 on Average This Black Friday Week, Says Deloitte
Nov 24, 2022
A Customer-Centric Approach to Retail Strategies With Hoobil8
Nov 23, 2022
Retail Dive: Adidas Introduces ‘Virtual Gear’ for the Metaverse
Nov 23, 2022
Getting Ready for Peak Season With Evri – The New Hermes
Nov 22, 2022
Tech in Asia: Grab’s Q3 Revenue More Than Doubles YOY, Net Loss Narrows to $327M
Nov 22, 2022
Alcott Global Podcast: Improving Customers’ Supply Chain
Nov 21, 2022
Guest Post: 5 Common Mistakes Made When Choosing an E-Commerce Logistics Provider
Nov 21, 2022
Funding Roundup: Exceptional Wins for Attabotics, Beam, Ofload and Others
Nov 18, 2022
Supply Chain Dive: USPS Announces New Shipping Rates for 2023
Nov 18, 2022
Streamlining E-Commerce Operations With ChannelEngine
Nov 17, 2022
Microsoft Launches New Initiative to Combat Global Supply Chain Disruptions
Nov 17, 2022
Carrier Performance During Peak Season 2021
Nov 16, 2022
Returns Management in E-Commerce
How Reverse Logistics Works
Reverse logistics is essentially the physical movement of goods during returns. It covers returns consolidation, international shipping, and other aspects concerning the movement of physical goods, whether between carriers or warehouses. Reverse logistics is also concerned with recovering value from products, materials, and parts that the final consumer has returned. In the beverage business, for instance, companies make use of empty tap containers via the reverse logistics process. Beverage manufacturers are able to reclaim the value of the containers by reusing them, which necessitates transportation planning, shipping load management, and container cleaning.
Customer Returns Policy for Online Purchases
A comprehensive and clear customer returns policy for online purchases is one of the factors that influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. In fact, 67% of e-commerce buyers do perform research on return policies before making a purchase. A clear policy will enable your consumers to return items more promptly and with less difficulty, resulting in a better return experience for online shoppers. Quicker returns also mean a quicker turnaround time; by allowing customers to return products efficiently, this increases the likelihood that a returned product will be in suitable condition for resale. Furthermore, defining clear instructions about how and when to return a product after purchase reduces the number of calls to customer support.
Free Shipping for Returns
Do you know 71% of consumers expect free shipping for returns? Some argue that free shipping for returns, or free returns, is essentially an investment in customer retention and acquisition.. Offering free shipping for returns may also boost a merchant’s conversion rate, since returns policies do play a part in a consumer’s purchasing decision. Companies should nevertheless measure the cost of returns to online retailers and the benefit of doing so before deciding to provide free returns to consumers.
Best Practices for E-Commerce Returns
Having a robust returns management process is a great way to secure repeat customers and develop a great brand reputation. When done correctly, it can also be a good way to discourage wasteful shopping behavior. Let’s take Zara as an example. This brand recently changed its customer returns policy for online purchases to reduce cost from customers who tend to over-order without the intention of retaining everything. Zara customers who return items at third-party drop-off points can deduct a £1.95 fee from their refund. Customers can additionally return online purchases for free to any Zara store.
