Retail executives love the lack of friction in online shopping that makes it fast and easy for customers to complete a purchase, and promising free returns is part of that. But the costs of those returns add up: Of the approximately $1.29 trillion in U.S. online retail sales in 2022, it’s estimated that $212 billion worth of goods — 16.4% of sales — were sent back. While that represents a reprieve for retailers from 2021, when the rate shot up to 20%, returns are up still significantly, from just 10.6% in 2020. It’s putting e-commerce executives under pressure to lower these unsustainable numbers.
The managers we work with on fulfillment strategies keep coming back to two less-obvious, intertwined questions regarding product returns: Does the current common strategy of putting the lion’s share of resources toward speedy delivery affect the return rate? And could a fulfillment approach that deprioritizes speed and instead aims to consolidate multiple-item orders into single, large deliveries improve return rates?
The issue matters not only to those invested in lowering reverse-logistics costs but also to colleagues in sales and marketing, since sales figures can oscillate dramatically as return rates and refunds are factored in.
Research we’ve conducted to answer these questions could challenge the assumptions underlying online delivery practices that, often counter intuitively, lead to higher rates of returns. We found that delivering all products in an order together, even if that means later delivery for some items, lowers the probability of returns. Our results suggest that delivery speed matters less to customers than the convenience of receiving all ordered items in a single delivery.
Denne historien er fra Spring 2023-utgaven av MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Spring 2023-utgaven av MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation
To capitalize on emerging technologies while mitigating unanticipated consequences, innovation managers need to establish a systematic review process.
Make a Stronger Business Case for Sustainability
When greener products and processes add costs, managers can shift other levers to maintain profitability.
How to Turn Professional Services Into Products
Product-based business models can help services firms achieve greater scale and profitability. But the transformation can be challenging.
Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?
The right answer depends on the strategic importance and maturity of AI in your company.
Where To Next? Opportunity on the Edge
Doing business in regions considered less stable or developed can pay off for companies. But they must invest in working with local communities.
Make Smarter Investments in Resilient Supply Chains
Many companies invest in resilience only after a disruption. Applying the concept of real options can help decision makers fortify supply chain capabilities no matter the crisis.
The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention
Organizational identity, architecture, and collaboration can be either assets or liabilities to pursuing growth in new sectors.
What Makes Companies Do the Right Thing?
Vaccine makers varied widely in their engagement with global public health efforts to broaden access to COVID-19 immunizations. Ethically motivated leadership was a dominant factor.
Build the Right C-Suite Team for Your Strategy
CEOs can foster a more effective leadership team by understanding when to tap senior executives' competitive instincts and when to encourage collaboration.
A Better Way to Unlock Innovation and Drive Change
A strengths-based approach to building teams can win employee commitment to change and foster an inclusive, agile culture.
