Holiday Shoppers: Plan Now For Hassle-Free Returns

Natick, MA— This holiday season, consumers plan to spend almost $1,000 on gifts, including items for themselves. Along with the year’s biggest shopping event comes one of the biggest hassles—returning or exchanging unneeded, ill-fitting, damaged or duplicate gifts.

 

CommercialWare (www.commercialware.com), the leading provider of cross-channel commerce solutions for retailers including Party Land, Chico's, J.Jill, Ritz Camera, Jos. A. Bank, and Patagonia, has some tips for shoppers to make returns easier this year, which ultimately makes for happier retail customers.

 

Understanding a retailer’s return policy is important. Policies have become more stringent to keep up with those trying to make money from returns. Retail fraud is estimated to cost retailers $3.5 billion this holiday season alone according to the National Retail Federation. Stolen merchandise and merchandise purchased with counterfeit tender and receipts are the most frequent type of fraudulent returns.

 

Return policy information can usually be found at check-out, on the receipt, and on the retailer’s web site. There are many retailers who allow consumers to use an online receipt for returning merchandise to the store. However, policies can vary depending on the purchase method—meaning that the same retailer can have different policies for its store, web site, call center, direct TV, kiosk, and catalog sales channels.

 

For example, it can be highly frustrating to making a purchase online and not be able to return the item to the store. The situation is made even more annoying if the merchant deducts shipping charges from the return or charges a restocking fee. It’s almost not worth returning the item and makes many think twice before placing an online order in the future.

 

For the retailer, the return and exchange process presents an opportunity to delight the consumer and actually sell additional or alternate merchandise if handled elegantly. The customer returns to the store or is otherwise re-engaging with an expectation of efficiency and assistance. Extending alternatives, offering expeditious resolution or providing special incentives for the next purchase can preserve or improve the value of the transaction.

 

“Most retail return policies are meant to prevent fraudulent returns, but can be off-putting to the most loyal customers. Retailers who can recognize their dedicated customers and their spending habits probably won’t argue over a single return item when the customer spends a significant amount with them,” said Jane Cannon, chief operating officer at CommercialWare.

 

Tips for returns

1. Don’t open or remove the tags on an item if you are not sure you (or your gift recipient) plan to keep it. This is especially important with: electronic merchandise, including DVDs, CDs, software, and hardware; final sale items; special orders; monogrammed items; undergarments; and evening ware (some of these items can’t be returned once they are opened).

 

2. Save all receipts, and where possible provide gift receipts to recipients. Without a receipt, items can sometimes be returned, but retailers have the option to only offer store credit or an exchange and more often than not, the current selling price is lower that what was originally paid.

 

3. Check before you check out. Ask the retailer, or seek out information on the website, to understand the exchange or return policies before you commit to your purchase.

 

Jane Cannon available for interview.