A new report sponsored by nShift, a delivery and experience management firm, reports more than half of participants in a global survey consider easy returns as the most important factor in their shopping decisions, ahead of retailers offering the lowest price or the quickest delivery.
The nShift report — entitled DeliveryX Returns 2024 — also found ease of the return process has the potential to shape shopper opinion of a retailer, as 67% of consumers admitted a retailer’s returns policy influences how much trust the operator.
An easy returns process is very important to 51% of consumers, nShirt reported, and somewhat important to 37% or consumers.
Although some assume consumers don’t return nearly as many store-bought items as digitally purchased items, the survey results indicate that not necessarily is the case. The majority of consumers returned items they had purchased at least occasionally, with 61% of those returns in-store purchasers and 66% of those returns being online purchasers. Conversely, 39% of consumers shopping in stores and 34% of those shopping online didn’t return an item during the past year.
Flexible returns are important to a large proportion of consumers during selling seasons such as those around Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, although other factors come in as a bit more urgent, according to the nShift report. On such occasions, 43% of shoppers expect a flexible return policy, trailing free delivery, at 56%; early discounts/cheap pricing, at 52%; big savings on promotion days, at 49%; and exclusive discounts to loyal customers, at 44%.
A consequence of the demand for easy returns is the growth of the reverse logistics sector. In 2023, nShift put that industry at $700.2 billion with the expectation it would grow to $954.5 billion by 2029.
Sean Sherwin-Smith, nShift product director post-purchase, said, “The message is loud and clear: Shoppers expect returns to be easy. But retailers have to balance this clear consumer preference against the wider interests of the business, ensuring that returns don’t become the ‘silent killer’ of their profits. A digital returns process makes it easier for e-com companies to set the returns process that works for both their customers and the business. They could choose to offer free returns in store but charge for items sent back in the (mail). Not only does it keep the costs of returns down, but it also drives shoppers in store where sales teams can encourage them to exchange their item or make additional purchases. Alternatively, they could grant free returns to the majority of customers but introduce charges to those that regularly return.”
