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Returns Roundup

We keep tabs on the latest retail returns news, insights, and trends that help your ecommerce brand stay competitive. Check out the top things you may have missed from other industry thought leaders below!

Shifting the Mindset Around Retail returns Uncover Business Opportunities within Retail Returns nrf.com

Data, collaboration, and sustainability initiatives could all be derived from how ecommerce merchants manage their returns. Learn the key factors that have affected the rising return rates of recent years and best practices for bringing more attention to the returns process from the National Retail Federation.

How Consumers are Celebrating a Record-Breaking St. Patrick's Day A Record-Breaking St. Patrick’s Day for Retailers nrf.com

Consumers are expected to spend $1 billion more on St. Patrick's Day this year than they did last year. Celebrations for people 35 years or older or for people with children will reach an all time high, giving retailers plenty of opportunities to capitalize on the holiday.

The Future of Visual Merchandising in Ecommerce CGI and 3D Product Imagery Enter the Ecommerce Industry coresight.com

Get the free report from Coresight Research on the future of product visual technology in ecommerce. Learn about the current and intended use of CGI and 3D product imagery in retail, companies that have already started to invest in such technology, the benefits and drawbacks, and more from their report.

Four Low-Cost Ecommerce Growth Strategies for 2023 The Ecommerce Strategies Recommended by Forbes for 2023 www.forbes.com

Retailers are shifting their focus from customer acquisition to prioritizing profits. As such, overall strategies and objectives are changing for ecommerce merchants across the industry. David Wagoner, CMO of a digital marketing and ecommerce agency, gives his recommendations on how to maximize margins.

What to know as Canadian Retailers Offer Eco-Friendly Options to Free Returns Canadian Retailers End Free Online Returns globalnews.ca

With more than 40% of online merchants stating shipping prices as their biggest challenge in 2022, it's safe to expect more retailers looking for innovative ways to cut down on these high costs. Countries like Canada that are more geographically dispersed, making shipping costs naturally higher in these regions, are the first to get aggressive with how they intend to change current online consumer behaviors.

Practical Advice for Retailers to Implement to Bolster Their Omni-Channel Strategy Ecommerce Shopping Behaviors Differ By Generation www.paymentsjournal.com

Research shows that Gen Z prefers to shop in person if products are available both in-store and online, while millennials are adopting ecommerce shopping in full swing. Retailers will need to adopt an elaborate omni-channel strategy in order to cater to the shopping habits of both generations.

Key trends in the logistics and ecommerce industry that will make a mark in 2023 Key Trends for 2023 in Logistics and Ecommerce timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Omnichannel selling and social commerce have become pivotal to retailers looking to remain competitive as shopping behavior in ecommerce changes once again with the shifting macroeconomic environment. Retailers will prioritize objectives such as climate consciousness and hyperlocal deliveries to build customer loyalty and retention.

Marketing in the new age of retail: what to expect in 2023 Top Retail Marketing Practices in 2023 www.retailcustomerexperience.com

If the last few years have taught retailers anything, it's that consumer spending habits and behaviors will evolve as macroeconomic conditions change. Shoppers will base their purchase decisions off of new factors that were once an after thought in retail. As a result, where retailers focus their marketing efforts will have to evolve in order to stay competitive.

Starbucks going national with new delivery partnership Starbucks Expands Existing Partnership with DoorDash chainstoreage.com

In January, Starbucks launched an online delivery service using partners, DoorDash, in select locations. While they've had a delivery partnership with UberEats since 2020, this new partnership will make Starbucks delivery available to a whole new demographic of customers, making delivery a pillar of Starbucks coffee services.

8 Direct to Consumer Retail Trends to Watch in 2023 8 Direct to Consumer Trends in 2023 www.retaildive.com

The economic challenges presented by the last few years have caused DTC retailers to become creative with finding ways to have a strategic advantage over their competitors. With venture capitalists and customers alike holding onto their funds tighter in fear of an upcoming recession, brands will also be looking to tighten their return policies to keep from losing profits on returned products.

Ottobot Facilitates Autonomous Deliveries for Retailers and E-Commerce OttoBot Uses Delivery Robots to Get E-Commerce Products to Customers www.sdcexec.com

Ottonomy.IO released Ottobot Yeti, what is said to be the first autonomous delivery robot capable of unattended deliveries for first-mile, last-mile and locker integration. This will give e-commerce retailers the option of a completely unmanned delivery process. Their innovation is sure to change the e-commerce industry as a whole. (Photo Credit: Ottonomy.IO)

Retailers Brace for Tougher Times and More Frugal Customers in 2023 Customers Expected to Become More Frugal in 2023 www.cnbc.com

Credit card balances have gone up and personal savings have gone down over the last few years and it's finally catching up to people. With consumers finally settling down from their extended shopping sprees, justified by the pandemic, it's looking like 2023 will be the year of frugal shoppers.

DoorDash introduces package pick up service DoorDash Introduces Package Pick-Up Service chainstoreage.com

Retail customers can now get their returned items delivered straight back to its designated location through the convenient use of the well-known app, DoorDash. With a flat pick-up rate for subscribed members, this could revolutionize the way returns are managed.

FedEx Makes Returns Easier for Customers FedEx Makes Returns Easier for Customers www.forbes.com

FedEx now offers hassle-free returns for small to medium sized businesses with the use of a simple QR code. By consolidating returns, retailers can increase efficiency and reduce costs by using fewer supplies and less labor to pack and ship the products back.

From Saks Fifth Avenue to Kilth: Retailers are Now Charging You to Make Returns Top Retailers Begin Charging for Online Returns in 2023 www.yahoo.com

The cost of returns are becoming too big a burden for retailers to bear. Between losing profits on shipping, returns fraud, loss of products sales, and the like, retailers are bringing back strict return policies by charging customers a fee for online returns it order to mitigate these high costs.

Reduce returns with returns data Data: The Secret Weapon for Ecommerce Merchants www.supplychainbrain.com

Growing inflation rates reduce retailers' ability to pour capital into acquiring customers in targeted segments, forcing them to look at other methods of improving their business. Tracking and analyzing customer data may be the only way to keep up with ever-changing customer expectations and to remain competitive in the ecommerce market.

Are free online returns ending? The age of free online returns is ending www.washingtonpost.com

Big-name retailers like Anthropologie, Zara, and Abercrombie & Fitch plan to charge for online returns in 2023. This has the potential of completely changing the ecommerce market as consumers are being forced to accept strict returns policies once again.

2022 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry - NRF 2022 Retail Returns Rate Remains Flat at $816 Billion nrf.com

Although sales continued to steadily rise in 2022, return rates remained relatively steady. A survey taken by The National Retail Federation found that for every $1 billion in sales, merchants typically saw about $165 million of returned merchandise.

Meet with ReturnLogic at NRF 2023 How technology is driving resilient retail operations in 2023 nrf.com

The NRF 2023 Retail's Big Show is the industry's largest event of the year. ReturnLogic is among the 51 retail tech companies that were invited to be a part of the innovation lab, a special part of the 3-day long event that is dedicated to highlighting breakthrough technology in retail.

UPS, Overstock to launch returns pilot program www.supplychaindive.com

UPS partnered with Overstock.com to launch a pilot program for more convenient customer returns. The program enables customers to have returned products picked up at the door without having to rebox it. Could this pilot help companies better understand their customers and evaluate their end-to-end shopping experience?

retailers rein in returns Retailers Rein in Returns www.supplychainbrain.com

The lenient return policies of the pandemic fueled a shopping habit of buying several items at once and returning unwanted items. This behavior has become costly to retailers, forcing them to shorten their refund and exchange windows and charge customers restocking fees to discourage returns.

Preparing for the Rise of Online Returns Preparing for the Rise in Online Retail Returns www.retailtouchpoints.com

As instant gratification becomes an increasingly prevalent part of our culture, consumers are starting to have high demands and high expectations. The way retailers handle merchandising, use technologies, and approach return policies will determine what's wasted and what's won by these businesses.

The Rise of Exchanges and Returns Optimization in Ecommerce open.spotify.com

Customer lifetime value is traditionally calculated without accounting for customer returns. Without taking this factor into account, retailers risk having inaccurate data on how their customers are actually effecting their bottom line. In this episode of Returnalytics, we unlock the true cost of a return and discuss how to calculate your Enterprise Lifetime Value.

ReturnLogic bags new capital to make returning items less of a nightmare ReturnLogic bags new capital to make returning items less of a nightmare techcrunch.com

The Philadelphia-based company provides returns management software for e-commerce brands and retailers, bringing together technology, including customer relationship management, third-party logistics, inventory management and shipping all together under one umbrella. Users can plug in ReturnLogic’s APIs and access data they can use to make product, process, manufacturing, and procurement changes to improve their bottom line and satisfy customers.

Company founder and CEO Peter Sobotta founded ReturnLogic in 2015 after a long career in reverse logistics. He started paying attention to the new generation of modern e-commerce companies showing up over the past five years. What he noticed was that they had “relentless focus on data and lifetime value, but they simply couldn’t get that,” he said.

“We saw a nice surge from COVID, everyone did, the tsunami wave hit,” Sobotta added. “The trends we’re seeing right now are retailers are taking returns much more seriously. Because when it comes to investment, dollar for dollar, if you have a place to park money right now and you’re trying to trim costs, but you have a 30% to 40% return rate like most apparel companies do, investing $1 in returns goes straight to the bottom line.”

In the past seven years, ReturnLogic has processed over a half billion returns and grown to serve hundreds of online brands and retailers, including Groove Life, EchelonFit, Oofos, Decathalon, Dossier and The Sak. It also handles third-party warranty returns for large retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy.