Consumers are greatly affected by return policies, and simplifying the return process is the key!

When consumers shop online, in addition to the quality and variety of goods, whether the store has a clear return policy has become an important factor influencing whether they will make a purchase, especially in Europe, where consumers attach more importance to return policies.

According to Sendcloud 's latest research, when retailers do not have a clear return policy, more than 67% of consumers will choose to abandon their orders. Nearly 49% of British consumers said that they would also choose to return products when they are dissatisfied. In addition, 75% of consumers hope to get a quick refund after returning the product, preferably within a week after the return.

For consumers, 70% of them care most about cost in return policies; 61% want merchants to provide return labels; and 53% are concerned about information on when they can get a refund.

“Retailers often think that the returns process is a real headache and sometimes try to make their return policies more complicated to reduce returns . But according to our research, the opposite is true. A simple and clear return policy is actually the key to driving conversions . We found that retailers who offer longer return periods have lower return orders. ”

So Sendcloud provides sellers with four elements of return policy based on the research results :

Streamlined returns process

Many consumers find returns a hassle, so sellers can try to optimize and reduce the return process and make it more flexible. In Italy, 20% of consumers want to send returns to the delivery point, and as many as 69% want to collect the goods at their doorstep.

Free Returns

Consumers usually find the word "free" hard to resist. Even when it comes to returns, consumers are more willing to let retailers bear the return costs. According to statistics, as many as 80% of Italian consumers will not continue to buy goods from the store if they have to pay for the return fee.

Extended return period

Although European legislation stipulates that the shortest return period for online shopping is 14 days, at least 49% of Italian consumers will give up buying in online stores if the shortest return period is less than 30 days. If the return period is less than 60 days, 35% will give up buying. So extending the return period will reduce the number of returns because consumers have more time to enjoy their shopping.

Quick Refund

European consumers are willing to wait up to 6 days for refunds . According to the report, 30% of Italian consumers are willing to wait up to 7 days, and 25% hope to receive a refund within 4 days. It can also be concluded that timely and fast refunds can better respond to market demand, improve customer satisfaction and stimulate repeat purchases.

Regardless of the country, today's consumers also attach great importance to after-sales services such as returns. Merchants can adjust the return rules appropriately and improve after-sales services based on the above situations and suggestions, which is also one of the marketing strategies that can attract consumers and increase store sales.

return policy

After-sales