Electronic Retailer - June 2012 - 28

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
need to quickly get the goods into your consumer’s hands,” he explains. with regard to returns is after they process the return, how do they ship the merchandise back to the e-tailer conveniently? “We have more than 100,000 access points for consumers with UPS Returns Flex Access, and they can drop their package off at one of nearly 5,000 UPS stores,” Gershenhorn says. Other convenient alternatives for customers would be to select from thousands of UPS drop boxes that accept air and

Headache-Free Return Policy
The fourth takeaway applies to how consumers view returns and exchanges. When it comes to purchasing goods from an e-tailer, comScore and UPS acknowledge customers want a hasslefree and convenient returns process. What’s really important to consumers

“There are about 75 million people out there who purchase online at least once every three months, and 25 percent of those consumers are buying six or more times. This is certainly a space we’re definitely interested in.”
– Alan Gershenhorn, chief strategy, sales and marketing officer at UPS

ground packages, drop off the return with a UPS driver or at authorized shipping outlets, or leave it in their mailbox. From the e-commerce standpoint, Gershenhorn says an e-tailer might ask, “How do I conveniently provide return service to my customers?” He explains that when e-tailers print the shipping label for a customer’s order, they can also print a return label, drop that return label in the box with specific instructions on how to process the return and indicate what access channels to use to get it back in the system. E-tailers essentially make the process painless for their customers, which could lead to future sales. Another important piece of data is 66 percent of consumers look at an e-tailer’s return policy before making a buying decision, while 28 percent aren’t willing to pay for return shipping. Therefore, “offering free returns or credit for a return on the goods without charging are two best practices that exist,” says Gershenhorn. Recently, the company unveiled a new product called UPS Returns Exchange, in which UPS simplifies the exchange process. For instance, let’s say a customer wants to exchange her shoes for
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electronicRETAILER | June 2012

12/22/11 1:00:04 PM
Electronic Retailer - June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronic Retailer - June 2012
