Clothing retailers bear the brunt of the problem with returns: almost one-third of all orders are returned. Online apparel businesses want to reduce the growing returns. Luckily, there are many low-cost ways to influence the return rate of an online store with little outlay.
Returns are disruptive to business
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Businesses struggle with clothes returns. A simple item return involves staff and logistics, therefore the return process takes time and effort, with the risk that the returned goods cannot be resold. That is why reducing the cost of returning goods is indeed one of the most urgent issues for retailers around the world.
Why do buyers return their purchases?
The first reason for returns is the poor fit and incorrect size, which makes a clothing item useless for a buyer. Secondly, there is often a discrepancy between reality and customer expectations. Therefore, a huge number of returns are since the products are far from the description and photos on the site.
One more reason for returning clothes is that people did not like the purchase or they changed their mind about the need for this item of clothing.
Another issue is the incorrect information about the delivery date. It happens that the goods do not arrive on the specified date, and thus the buyers no longer need the clothes that they, for example, wanted to wear to a certain event.
Besides, retailers are sometimes too flexible on the terms of return. Sellers often make returns free of charge, and people take advantage of this by mindlessly making purchases and then returning them without money losses. Retailers, in turn, suffer from poor profitability because of the skyrocketing number of returns. At the same time, retailers are forced to offer free returns in order to be loyal in order not to lose potential buyers.
Consider making use of fitting technology
Virtual try on solutions can help customers find the right size while making purchases online, putting an end to the difficult-to-control bracket shopping issue. YourFit by 3DLOOK is an excellent solution that can provide users with personalized size recommendations in a matter of seconds.
The solution accurately depicts the item’s appearance on the individual due to the 3d dressing room as well as the most appropriate size, allowing the brand to provide shoppers with an engaging try-on experience.
Fabric quality information is significant
Everyone wants to buy a high-quality manufactured product made of high-quality fabric that is also reasonably priced. As a result, producers are obliged to walk a tightrope between cost and quality.
Sometimes internet merchants may not accurately disclose the clothing’s material. And when the buyers don’t get what they want, they return the items to the internet store. As a result, the fundamental requirement for an online store’s trustworthiness is honesty in the description of the composition.
Communication with buyers
Some stores allow potential buyers to request information about the clothing item. If the feedback form works effectively and the person receives a meaningful response within a short time, then the number of returns will decrease.
Unfortunately, managers can be slow to respond to customer requests through the site form. Often buyers who ask questions through the form do not receive an answer as quickly as they would like to make an actual purchase.
Make it user-friendly
Consumers often have difficulty performing simple tasks in online stores. So retailers must assess whether their platform causes confusion leading to wrong or inadvertent purchases. Payment and product pages should be uncluttered and intuitive so that buyers know exactly what they are buying.
Why implementing ecommerce returns best practices is a necessity for retailers?
It’s important to remember that dissatisfied customers will not return to an online store because they don’t want to risk their money again, but will instead go to a trusted store.
Oddly, cheap products are rarely returned in case of buyer dissatisfaction. Because the loss isn’t significant, the consumer just does not want to waste time and money on returns.
Still, these unsatisfied customers wouldn’t return, there will be no further purchases from the store. And this leads to financial loss because the primary goal of an online store is to attract repeat customers. Retailers invest in customer acquisition and offer perks, such as discounts on the first order, which in the end doesn’t pay off if the customer churns after the first purchase. As a result, the store invests in converting a visitor into a customer that did not pay off.
Today, many brands are working on the implementation of virtual fitting rooms, which will allow customers mke better shopping decisions and enjoy the full dressing room experience from the comfort of their home. For the company, this technology is the right way to reduce product returns.