Article

Study: Retailers' return policies often unclear, inconsistent

More than half do not include their return policy on their home page; one-quarter do not allow cross-channel returns.

November 16, 2010

CrossView, a provider of cross-channel commerce solutions, has announced the results of a study of some of the country's largest retailers' return policies. The study evaluated 88 U.S. retailers — including Best Buy, Target, Sears and J.Crew — and found significant failings.
 
"This study illustrates that while retailers have a handle on the overall importance of consumer-friendly policies, there are some glaring failures — particularly heading into the holiday season when returns are incredibly important to the customer experience," said Jason Goldberg, vice president, strategy and customer experience, CrossView. "Retailers need to be aware that their return policy will have profound effect on overall purchase decisions."
 
Findings include:

• More than half do not include their return policy on their home page. "The fact that so many are overlooking such a fundamental usability issue and forcing customers to go digging for this information on their own is problematic, and may have a detrimental effect on retention," Goldberg notes.
• 65 percent require a receipt for returns. "This has obvious fraud-prevention implications, but during a season where many purchases are gifts, retailers should investigate other verification options."
• One-quarter do not allow cross-channel returns. "Cross-channel customers have been proven time and again to be the most profitable long-term. Consumers expect a seamless experience when they're shopping and returning items is no different. Luckily, there are technology platforms available that deliver a more cohesive experience across channels."

"An estimated $43 billion worth of merchandise was returned during last year's holiday season alone, so clearly this is a common part of the customer experience," Goldberg said. "As such, gaps like the ones uncovered can be very harmful to customer satisfaction and retention rates. Frustrations around returns can impact brand loyalty immediately and cause long-term damage."

(Photo by Daniel Lobo.)