Product Returns

While the explosive growth of digital shopping in 2020 led to more sales, it also caused a spike in returns as shoppers discovered some of their online purchases didn’t fit, were defective, or failed to meet expectations. For most retailers, an influx of returns expose costly operational weaknesses for processing returns, as well as untapped…

For many retailers, returns equals a huge profit loss, an expensive transaction that can often cost more money than the actual item is worth. Driven by the pandemic, consumers took to online shopping, contributing to a record high of $855 billion in online sales in 2021. The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Appriss Retail reported…

We all know that a positive customer experience (CX) is crucial for gaining loyalty, maximizing profits, and growing visibility. From the first interaction between a customer and your business to the moment a transaction is made and final goods are exchanged, convenience, efficiency and a seamless experience are essential. What retailers are beginning to realize,…

While retailers have been grappling with reverse logistics challenges for years, the current global supply chain disruption and ensuing logistics chaos are shining a spotlight on the issue. The pandemic shifted consumer spending away from service-based expenditures (e.g., restaurants, travel) and towards the purchase of goods. As a result, the e-commerce market skyrocketed — and…

For most retailers, the beginning of the year almost always kicks off with slowed sales and a surge of product returns. When inventory is returned in mass quantities, businesses can be left with a holiday hangover — not to mention a large pile of items that usually end up being thrown out or liquidated for…

“Retailers expect more than $761 billion in merchandise sold last year to be returned by consumers.” That's a billion with a "B," and it’s according to the NRF’s Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry 2021 report. Retail returns account for nearly 6 billion pounds of landfill waste and 16 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Melissa Campanelli and Kristina Stidham discuss an article recently published by Total Retail, “E-Commerce Returns Are at an Inflection Point. It's Time for VIP Policies,” authored by Andria Tay, global director of marketing and communications at Narvar. The retail industry is at a crossroads with product…

The retail industry is at a crossroads with product returns, which need to be managed more thoughtfully to lighten the burden on operations and the bottom line, ease the environmental impact, and build customer loyalty. The National Retail Federation (NRF) found returns cost retailers $101 billion during the 2020 holidays. For the holiday season just behind…

Retail job openings reached a staggering 1.3 million in August — the same month employees voluntarily left their jobs at record rates (4.3 million). As the 2021 holiday season approached, retailers scrambled to fill hundreds of thousands of vacant roles by offering higher wages and signing bonuses. However, while they made it through the holiday…

A record number of cargo ships are backed up in U.S. ports. There aren’t enough dock workers or truck drivers to distribute every new shipment. The global supply chain is strapped. All of these issues combined are leading to a significant amount of out-of-stock inventory and frustrated customers. Retailers are scrambling to prepare for a…