Despite an uncertain economic climate, the National Retail Federation expects retail sales to grow between 4% and 6% this year, accounting for more than $5 trillion dollars in revenue—well above the pre-pandemic growth rate of 3.6%.

Ecommerce sellers are expected to play a critical role in this sales growth as they not only carry a wide swath of products, but they also tend to beat brick-and-mortar retailers on price. By the end of peak season, online sales could exceed $1.5 trillion.

While such a surge in sales is welcomed by retailers big and small, the good news is not without its own unique challenges. As sales go up, so too do returns.

In this ebook, you’ll learn how to make returns easier for your customers and your bottom line—you’ll obtain a better understanding of:

• Why returns happen in the first place
• How you can prevent returns before they start
• Where you can optimize your return process for improved efficiency and long-term profitability. 

Here’s a brief snippet

…A great return policy:

• Sets your brand apart from competitors.
• Protects profitability against losses due to fraudulent returns.
• Keeps you and your customers on the same page, creating a positive experience and stronger loyalty. 

Over 60% of online shoppers decide which retailer they’re going to buy from by considering their policies, and 96% will buy from retailers who offer “easy” or “very easy” return policies. Given those numbers, it’s apparent that simple, seamless policies almost always win the sale. 

Here are a few real-world return policies that are emblematic of the “right way” of doing returns for your customers and your bottom line. While the following examples are from major brands, these policies can still be borrowed by all ecommerce retailers, no matter how big or small.

Saks Fifth Avenue 

Did you know you can use variable return windows to elicit positive behavior from your customers? 

As an example, consider Saks Fifth Avenue. 

The luxury retailer states that “Returns are eligible for a full refund within 30 days of delivery.”  However, the policy adds that for free shipping you must “...initiate your return within 14 days of delivery. For returns initiated after 14 days, a $9.95 return shipping charge [is] deducted from your refund.”

By combining return window variability with an incentive, Saks gets customers to submit returns more quickly, reducing dead inventory time and allowing the brand to restock and resell returned items faster.