The Present State of Returns

While efficient and timely delivery of goods remains paramount for both retailers and consumers, the returns of goods – reverse logistics – is equally as important and rapidly growing daily thanks to a new consumer trend of “serial” returning. Because of this, reverse logistics has become a pivotal differentiator for shipping companies. Total revenues from returns amounted to $635.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, with projections speculating that this sector of the industry will be valued at roughly $958 billion U.S. dollars by 2028.

What’s causing the boom? Consumer spending habits are! E-commerce sales have hit an all-time high, jumping nearly 32% in 2020 compared to the year prior, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While in-store shopping is recovering, consumers haven’t forgotten the convenience of digital shopping and online returns.

But it’s not just customers who want to avoid returns inconveniences; retailers do as well. Some obstacles faced include a lack of flexible and customizable options, poor tracking capabilities, lackluster customer experience, and a lack of cross-border returns expertise that makes the process costly and inefficient.

The Components of a Successful Returns Management Process

So, what can be done to make the returns process easier for both retailers and consumers?

Shipping companies, especially those who ship across the U.S./Canada border, must aim to make this process as easy as possible for all parties involved. The key components of a seamless returns management process include:

·????????Full-service, hassle-free execution

·????????Clean compliance policies to increase efficiency and reduce liability

·????????Complete visibility throughout the returns process

·????????Key insights into potential defects or supply chain inefficiencies

·????????Flexibility into how each return is handled – returned, reshipped, donated, or destroyed

·????????Positive customer experience

A successful returns management process is essential to keeping both consumers and retailers happy. With 67% of shoppers checking the returns policy before they make a purchase, according to a survey from Inmar Intelligence, retailers may be losing out on key business due to unclear or insufficient policies.

How Purolator International Manages Reverse Logistics

Purolator International has unique access to an extensive national network in Canada that includes over 1,700 access points and shipping locations for convenient drop-offs in urban, rural, and remote locations. And we know Canada, which allows us to leverage our expertise to provide seamless cross-border returns.

In addition, we include quality checks as part of our returns management process to provide confirmation—and peace of mind—that our customers’ items haven’t been received damaged or broken. Keeping everything in-house and offering personalized solutions ensures our customers’ returns don’t incur unnecessary delays or costs. Our facilities evaluate packages quickly, enabling customer validation and accreditation in 1-2 days, while competitors can take up to 7 days.

We leverage our unmatched Canadian reach and cross-border expertise to provide the most innovative and complete returns management service with full visibility and the flexibility to return, reship, destroy, or donate. Our exceptional process focuses on the needs of our customers and offers a dedicated customer service representative to ensure returns are handled at the highest level of efficiency.

Learn more about how Purolator International leverages our expertise for the full return journey [LINK]