A key component in retail business is being able to stay ahead of customer returns. There seems to be endless reasons why customers initiate returns and the only guarantee is that it’s going to happen. It’s estimated that 30 percent of eCommerce orders are shipped back as compared to 8 percent of in-store purchases. Partnering with a reputable fulfillment warehouse can ensure your returns are seamless as possible. Our Omaha 3PL warehouse is centrally located ensuring faster shipping to anywhere nationwide.
Improved Reverse Logistics Means an Improved Bottom Line
You know returns are going to happen, so the best way to minimize costs is to make sure your return processes are as efficient as possible. Here are three ways that you can improve your reverse logistics and keep costs down.
Make Returns Easier
Easy returns are defined as returns that happen in a timely manner. This is especially critical when you’re dealing with seasonal or delicate merchandise. You can speed up the return process by providing easy ways to return items. An example for this would be if you happen to have a physical location for your operation you could allow your customers to bring items back for a full refund. This works well to encourage new purchases along with exchanges.
Create Uniformity for Packages
When customers have to pay for return shipping fees they naturally go for the cheapest shipper they can find. This means you’re going to be getting packages from a number of companies using a variety of different labels. Sorting and decoding all of the packages adds up to a lot of time and money. Instead, include an encoded, prepaid shipping slip in every box so that your reverse logistics team can quickly identify each package and its contents.
Collect Data
The numbers don’t lie. The more data you can collect on shipping and everything you do within your business the better. It will allow you to find more places where you can increase the value of your returns. It could give you critical information to allow you to sell refurbished items through a different vendor for more money or simply show you that using a different shipper will get returns back to the warehouse faster.
Reverse logistics are not considered a high priority for a lot of retailers. The data tells us 30% of what you ship out on average is coming back. Making an efficient plan for that part of your business can dramatically cut operational costs. Partnering with a good 3rd party warehouse that has the tools to streamline your reverse logistics is the best way to tackle the return aspect of your business. Give us a call today and we’d be happy to explain how we can help. (402) 991-8460