Do you know that the average retail return rate is 16.4% for eCommerce and 16.5% for in-store purchases? In 2022, consumers returned $212 billion in merchandise from online sales and $603 billion from in-store sales. I happen to be extremely comfortable making purchase returns if the merchandise doesn’t work for me.
It doesn’t matter if I purchased the items in a brick and mortar store or online. It doesn’t help that online shopping has become super easy for returns. I will confess that there are times out of convenience I order two sizes knowing that one will be returned. I know that online retailers hate this and it’s embarrassing to admit; because I know the retailer’s backend consequences but my consumer tendencies overcome me.
I have had a couple of purchase return experiences worth sharing these last couple of months:
First, like most I am a PRIME member and I am comfortable ordering and returning with a reason. I know I will not be charged. Last month, I ordered a headboard for my daughter’s bed from Wayfair. It didn’t work. My husband packed it in the original shipping materials. I processed the return. And, guess what? It cost me a whopping $40+ to ship it back. Note to self: stop shopping at Wayfair. Really, that was my mental memo to self.
On another note, I returned a purchase I had made from Ulta Beauty. I literally didn’t take it out of the bag because my daughter already had the product. It was not makeup or a beauty product rather cloth rollers. I returned it in-store where I bought it and the cashier broke open the box and proceeded to take the merchandise out and put it in a bag to return it to the vendor (I guess). I was shocked. I literally didn’t open the package. What a waste! I shop other places and I know that they put returned merchandise back on the floor. My note to self, don’t buy anything at Ulta Beauty unless I am 110% sure that I’m going to keep it. Honestly, I just couldn’t stomach seeing the waste.
Both of these experiences have me adjusting my shopping behavior. I am definitely more intentional about whether or not my purchase is a keeper before I buy it. I'm stretching myself because it's never good to get too comfortable at doing anything, not even returning purchases.
Sonya Ruff Jarvis is a Business & Marketing Consultant; Content Creator & Connection-Maker; Thought Leader & Industry Expert and Book Author & Entrepreneur. Areas of expertise include: Retail; Marketing; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); and Human Resources. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 30 years. Interested in Sonya’s books? They can be found on Amazon or get an author autographed copy at www.jarvisconsultants.com.
Let’s talk about your next project and how Jarvis Consultants can support your initiatives; email sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.
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