Returns – The New Battle Ground for Retail

Returns are now increasingly being seen by retailers as a strategic part of the complex world of global commerce delivery.

The growth in online sales and consumers using the home as a changing room has fundamentally changed the way that consumers view returns and retailers must develop their reverse logistics to respond to this.

By optimising your returns strategy you can ensure that the process is as cost-effective and integrated as possible, whilst ensuring that when your customers do want to return an order, it is as convenient and seamless as possible.

Combining these approaches will allow retailers to introduce new revenue opportunities and increase consumer loyalty and conversion through returns.

Response from the retail community has been slow to adopt multiple options for returns. Micros’ survey in April 2014 looked at the returns options offered by UK digital retailers annually from 2009 to 2013.

Retailers offering only a single option of a postal return has consistently been top of the chart ranging from 41.0% in 2009 to only slightly lower in 2013 at 36.4%.

The rise of Collect+ as a viable returns option in the PUDO market (pick-up and drop-off) has experienced a noticeable increase from 0% in 2009, to being offered in different combinations in over 25% of retailers in 2013, this option is often marketed as a free alternative for the consumer.

What is most telling though, is that only 1.0% of retailers offer a combination of post, carrier and carrier parcel shop (PUDO) returns options.

This shows the opportunity that retailers still have to offer an increase in flexibility and convenience for their consumers.

The digital environment is constantly changing – and fast. Consumer requirements and behaviors are evolving too.

We not only offer you the tools to keep up, but in this report we’re lifting the lid on what your customers want, both now and in the future.