Returns are a poison that kills online businesses.
Secretly undoing countless hours, days, weeks, months, and years in a matter of moments.
The cost of a return doesn’t stop with the cost of the product, it goes much much further, so let’s break it down:
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Return Rate: First, the basics… The return rate is the percentage of products sold that are returned by customers. For instance, if an online retailer has a return rate of 25%, it means that for every 100 items sold, 25 are returned. This is a significant number, considering the average return rate for eCommerce in the US hovers around this benchmark.
- Cost of Returns: Each return incurs several costs:
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Shipping Costs: The brand often covers the cost of return shipping, which can vary greatly depending on the size, weight, and shipping distance of the item.
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Processing Costs: Processing a return includes receiving the item, inspecting it, restocking it, and handling administrative tasks. This requires labor, which adds to the cost.
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Refurbishing or Disposal Costs: Returned products might need to be refurbished, repackaged, or, in some cases, disposed of if they can't be resold, adding further costs.
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Lost Revenue: When a product is returned, the sale is essentially reversed. The brand must refund the purchase price, losing out on that revenue. Margins are heavily impacted, and if a product can't be resold, the brand experiences a total loss.
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Impact on Inventory and Cash Flow: High return rates can lead to unpredictable inventory levels and strain cash flow. A retailer might end up with excess stock of returned items while still needing to purchase new inventory.
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Environmental Cost: Returns have a substantial environmental impact. They contribute to carbon emissions through transportation, packaging waste, and further add to landfill waste if the products are not resold.
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Customer Service Strain: Handling returns requires significant customer service resources, from managing return requests to addressing customer queries and complaints.
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Impact on Pricing and Margins: To mitigate the costs associated with high return rates, retailers might increase prices or reduce margins, impacting competitiveness and profitability.
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Data from 2022: Returns cost store retailers approximately $816 billion in 2022, nearly double that of 2021. It is evident how that returns are negatively impacting the financial health of businesses everywhere.
In summary, returns have a compounding negative effect on an online retailer's business, affecting everything from direct costs to customer experience, environmental impact, and overall profitability.
That's why reducing return rates is a critical focus for eCommerce businesses.
ReKeepIt sees this problem as our opportunity to positively impact the eCommerce landscape. Brands implementing ReKeepIt are part of a movement moving towards a Return Rate Zero
