Orvis, a heritage outdoor brand known for its commitment to quality and customer loyalty, saw an opportunity to transform its returns process into a revenue-generating advantage. While the company didn’t offer a traditional exchange program, it launched a smart, Narvar-powered free-shipping promotion embedded in return confirmation emails—creating a seamless alternative that encouraged customers to re-engage.

What seemed like a small change delivered outsized results:

• $185,000 in recaptured revenue
  
• 124% lift in post-return orders
  
• 12% increase in average post-return order value
  

Even more telling, 44% of customers who used the promotion made three or more additional purchases in the following six months.

“What was probably five hours of work all the way around netted these recovered sales. It’s really phenomenal.”

Amy Williamson, Voice of the Customer Supervisor

Cutting WISMR While Enhancing CX

Prior to Narvar, customers had to call to initiate a return, adding unnecessary friction and increasing contact center volume. With Narvar’s AI-powered returns management software in place, Orvis empowered customers to handle returns digitally—leading to a 42% drop in WISMR inquiries.

“Narvar’s solution reduced the number of contacts asking, ‘Where is my return?’ or ‘What’s the status of my refund?’—especially compared to phone-based returns.”

This automation not only streamlined service operations, but improved the overall customer experience by making self-service the new standard.

Agility Without Heavy Tech Lift

One of the most powerful outcomes? Orvis executed the free-shipping incentive without altering its core tech stack. Narvar’s flexibility enabled the marketing team to test, implement, and optimize promotions within hours—not days.

“We knew about the API for a full exchange program, but supply chain uncertainty made us cautious. This campaign gave us a strategic interim solution that worked beautifully for our customers.”

Smarter Returns, Smarter Marketing

Beyond operational benefits, the data captured through Narvar’s platform has become a key driver of marketing and merchandising decisions.

Orvis uses Narvar’s insights to:

• Track PDP performance
  
• Identify top return reasons by department
  
• Distinguish true returns from replacement purchases
  

“I use Narvar data to perform quarterly, department-level rollups. It gives us real visibility into which returns are really just exchanges—so we can fine-tune our strategies accordingly.”

A Trusted Partner, Not Just a Platform

“What really differentiates Narvar is the support. I have a real person I can go to if I have a question—day or night. Narvar has built their platform in a way that helps us better support our customers.”