Retailers are today bracing themselves for ‘Takeback Wednesday’ with the return of online purchases set to rise a phenomenal 80% today. This comes as consumers get back into the swing of reality on the first working day of the year, and return those unwanted Christmas gifts that just didn’t quite hit the mark.
With over half of online shoppers electing not use a retailer again if the returns process is difficult, it’s imperative that online retailers not only understand how to provide an optimum shopping experience, but that they strive to reduce returns altogether.
Steve Gershik, CMO at inRiver comments: “As consumers get back to work post-Christmas, the rush to return unwanted items begins. Reducing the volume of returns needs to be at the top of online retailers’ priorities for 2019 in order to limit the financial impact on their business.”
“While many retailers are focused on shifting as many goods as possible over the holiday sales period, if products don’t meet shoppers’ expectations, they’ll be returned instantly. Our recent research found that nearly a quarter of shoppers (22%) said the products they buy online rarely meet their expectations, causing nearly half to always return items (48%).”
“Understanding the reasons why consumers send products back will enable e-commerce businesses to focus on providing a better experience, reducing these occurrences. Shoppers need to know exactly what they are purchasing; it is up to retailers to deliver a product that is consistent with expectations. Ultimately, if customers feel let down by a retailer, they’ll go elsewhere in the future.”
