Product Returns

In a media cycle full of daily shocks and surprises, there’s comfort in the mania of the holiday shopping season. Each year, we know a few things will happen — endless speculation on consumer spending habits, earlier-than-ever deals and sales, and a frenetic spin-cycle of shopping and returns that ultimately deposits us into the darkness…

It’s time for retailers to rethink the adage, “the customer is always right.” This saying initially came from a desire to keep shoppers happy and ensure top-notch service. However, this practice leaves retailers vulnerable to unnecessary loss and fraud. On the contrary, overcompensating and creating restrictive policies to catch potential fraudulent returns can hurt loyal…

It’s only early October, but by the looks of current ad campaigns and the décor in retailers’ brick-and-mortar shops, it’s already Thanksgiving. It’s a signal to all that the holidays are approaching, and with them, the onslaught of holiday shopping, both in-store and online. Over the past few years, retailers have enjoyed particularly busy holiday…

In today’s modern retail ecosystem, where retailers are deploying technology to deliver effective omnichannel offerings and curate high-quality customer experiences (CX), one challenge that still concerns many retailers is the returns dilemma. In 2022, returned retail merchandise amounted to almost $817 billion in the U.S., a 7 percent increase from $761 billion in 2021. Of…

It’s estimated that 30 percent of apparel and shoes purchased online are returned. And per the National Retail Federation, the projected cumulative cost of returns last year was $761 billion (this equates to 17 percent of all purchases, an 11 percent increase from our previous year's research). Returns are an expensive proposition for retailers. As…

Americans returned approximately $816 billion in products last year. For retailers, processing those returns is a costly endeavor. To navigate this dynamic and complex supply chain environment, the right returns management software solution is a critical factor for success. According to new data from goTRG, 34 percent of retailers say that they believe their business…

Picture this: You ordered a shirt that you really liked from your favorite retailer. Then, when it finally arrives, it doesn’t fit correctly, and you must now navigate the returns process. This may include jumping through hoops to meet the retailer’s return policy requirements: Do you have to return in-store? Is returning the shirt free…

A growing number of brands are sold via buy now, pay later (BNPL) models. And, thanks to inflation and continually increasing living costs, consumers are motivated to use BNPL options for online and in-person purchases alike. It’s estimated that 60 percent of shoppers have tried BNPL services at least once. By 2027, there are expected to be 900 million…

Three years after the onset of the pandemic, online shopping is still a top way consumers make their purchases, especially among younger generations. There are now 2.64 billion digital buyers globally, which makes up 33.3 percent of the total population, so one out of three people shop online. However, an increase in e-commerce also leads to an…

Target is making it easier for customers to return products, launching curbside returns last week that allows people to make returns from the comfort of their cars. The retailer's goal is to roll out the service to all stores by the end of the summer, but for now it's available in a quarter of Target's…