Physical stores
If you have both an online store and physical store(s), you can offer in-store returns in addition to returns by mail. This offers numerous advantages; for example, you can have the returned goods checked directly by store staff, and items that are in perfect condition can instantly go straight back on sale. Defective or wrong sizes - if available - can be exchanged on the spot, so refunds are not even necessary.
The downside, however, is the large number of different return streams, each with its own return process. Returns in a physical store simply require a different approach than registering returns in the warehouse. To ensure an efficient process, you want to have a system in which you can manage all these different return flows.
Returns from an online store
Returns from an online store are often easier to process with a digital return process than in-store returns. However, they often also involve more costs. Because of transportation and depreciation costs, the return costs for a webshop are generally much higher than those for exchanging or returning in a physical store. And not only are the costs per return higher, the total number of returns is also higher because products can only be reviewed at home. In addition, items ordered and returned online often cannot be resold at the regular price because the packaging has been opened, sometimes resulting in the product no longer being intact, or the product having signs of use.
Although processing online returns, provided you have set up an efficient digital returns process, is often easier than returning in-store, as a merchant you still want to try to reduce the number of returns from your online store. There are several ways you can do this; one of them is to encourage returns in your physical store(s) by rewarding this option with, for example, savings on return costs or with a voucher for the next purchase.
Where do web store's returns end up?
When customers return products in your physical store(s), ideally you can sell them again immediately. With returns from your online store, it's a little different. Often the product's packaging has been opened and, in the worst case, the product has been used. This is why there are many retailers - see Amazon & co - that "just" throw away returns. This solution is very harmful, both for the cost ratio and for the environment. Moreover, the European Parliament will probably soon pass a law banning the destruction of returned shipments.
All the more reason to organize your return flows properly. With Returnless, you can add characteristics to the return as soon as you create a return in your system. This way, you know exactly what to do with the return when it arrives, and you can organize different teams in your warehouse accordingly. Defective products go directly to the repair department or are recycled, products that are returned because of a wrong size are repackaged and put back on sale, and so on.
The return flow with Returnless
All these challenges require a flexible solution. Returnless therefore offers a clear return portal, which both employees and customers can access, in which you can easily manage your return flows.
Using simple return rules, you can sort returns automatically and add them to the correct return flow. For example, you can automatically change the return address for defective products to your return center, or have the system offer the customer store credit when he or she chooses to return to the store. As an online retailer, this allows you to very easily, and with little or no manual work, process each return in exactly the right way.
This is how the returns process works with Returnless:
