For many online retailers, international expansion feels like a significant leap.
Launching in a new country often means investing in localisation, marketing, logistics, customer service and compliance before there's any certainty that demand exists. While the opportunities are substantial, so too are the risks.

That's one reason marketplaces continue to play an increasingly important role in cross-border eCommerce.

Across Europe, consumers are already accustomed to shopping through established marketplace platforms.

Whether it's Amazon in Germany, Bol in the Netherlands and Belgium, Allegro in Poland, ManoMano in France or Zalando across multiple markets, shoppers often begin their product search on marketplaces rather than brand websites.

For retailers looking to scale internationally, this creates a valuable opportunity: marketplaces provide access to existing audiences, built-in trust and a relatively low-risk way to test demand before committing to a full market entry strategy.

Why marketplaces continue to grow

The success of marketplaces comes down to convenience, as they give consumers a trusted place to compare products, prices and reviews.
Shoppers also benefit from familiar payment options, clear delivery expectations and established returns processes. For shoppers entering a transaction with an unfamiliar brand, the marketplace itself often acts as a trust signal.

For retailers, the appeal is equally obvious.

Rather than investing heavily in customer acquisition from day one, brands can tap into traffic that marketplaces have already spent years and millions of euros attracting, dramatically reducing the barriers to entering new territories.

Marketplaces also provide valuable data. Sales performance, customer feedback and regional demand patterns can help retailers understand where opportunities exist before making larger operational investments.

In effect, marketplaces allow brands to conduct market research while generating revenue at the same time.

Looking into Europe’s marketplace setup
One of the biggest mistakes retailers make when expanding into Europe is assuming that marketplace success begins and ends with Amazon.

While Amazon remains dominant in several major markets, Europe's eCommerce landscape is far more diverse.

In Germany, platforms such as Otto, Kaufland and Zalando play important roles alongside Amazon. In the Netherlands, Bol remains a major force. Poland is heavily influenced by Allegro, while France has strong domestic players including Cdiscount and ManoMano.

This fragmentation creates both challenges and opportunities.
Retailers that understand local marketplace preferences can often access highly engaged customer bases with less competition than they might face on larger global platforms.

However, it also means that a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works.

Success often requires tailoring product listings and customer experiences to individual markets rather than simply replicating a domestic marketplace strategy abroad.

Why marketplaces are ideal for testing demand

For ecommerce brands considering European expansion, marketplaces can serve as an effective first step.
Rather than launching dedicated websites in multiple countries immediately, businesses can use marketplaces to validate demand and identify their strongest opportunities.

Questions that marketplaces can help answer include:

Which products resonate most strongly with local consumers?

Which countries generate the highest conversion rates?

What price points are customers willing to accept?

How does customer feedback differ between markets?

These insights become invaluable when planning longer-term investment.

Many successful international retailers initially entered European markets through marketplaces before expanding into direct-to-consumer channels once demand had been established. This staged approach can significantly reduce expansion risk.

Operational readiness still matters
While marketplaces make customer acquisition easier, they do not remove operational complexity.

Consumers purchasing through marketplaces expect the same standards they would receive from local retailers.

Delivery speed, stock availability, communication and returns all influence seller ratings and customer satisfaction.
Poor operational performance can quickly undermine marketplace growth.

As brands scale across multiple countries and platforms, inventory visibility becomes increasingly important. Effective ecommerce channel integrations help ensure inventory, orders and fulfilment data remain synchronised across marketplaces, reducing the risk of delayed dispatches or inaccurate availability information that can negatively impact marketplace performance and seller rankings.

Returns management also deserves particular attention.

Cross-border returns management is often one of the biggest friction points in international eCommerce. Consumers expect straightforward processes regardless of where a retailer is based, and marketplaces increasingly reward sellers who can provide a positive post-purchase experience.

For many brands, operational scalability becomes the determining factor between marketplace success and marketplace stagnation.

Localisation remains an advantage
Even when selling through marketplaces, localisation can significantly influence performance.

European consumers may share a single market in regulatory terms, but purchasing behaviours often vary considerably from country to country.

Product descriptions, imagery, customer service, payment preferences and delivery expectations should reflect local market norms wherever possible.
Language is particularly important.
Consumers are generally more likely to purchase when product information is presented clearly in their native language. While marketplaces provide access to international audiences, they do not eliminate the need for local relevance.

The retailers achieving the strongest marketplace performance are typically those that combine marketplace reach with local market understanding.

Marketplaces as part of a wider expansion strategy

Marketplaces should not necessarily be viewed as an end destination. For many retailers, they represent one component of a broader international growth strategy.

Over time, brands can use the knowledge gained through marketplaces to inform wider investments in localised websites, marketing campaigns, distribution networks and customer engagement initiatives.

In this sense, marketplaces function as both a sales channel and a market entry tool.

As cross-border eCommerce continues to mature, retailers that use marketplaces strategically will often find themselves in a stronger position to scale sustainably across Europe.

The opportunity is no longer simply about selling internationally, but understanding where demand exists, building trust with local consumers and creating the operational foundations for long-term growth.

fulfilmentcrowd helps ambitious retailers scale across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia with tech-enabled fulfilment solutions, seamless integrations and a worldwide warehouse network designed to support fast, reliable global growth.

Learn more at fulfilmentcrowd.com, fulfilmentcrowd.de or fulfilmentcrowd.us

The post Why marketplaces remain one of the smartest ways to enter Europe's eCommerce markets appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Cross-border logistics is often described in terms of infrastructure, capacity, and technology. For Ove Dokk, International Business Development Manager at GLS, the differentiator is more human: proximity to customers, entrepreneurial thinking, and the ability to make global shipping feel local.

With a career shaped by experience across major logistics organizations, Dokk brings a perspective grounded in both operational scale and customer intimacy — a balance that increasingly defines success in international parcel delivery.

A Career Built Around Customer-Centric Logistics

Dokk’s professional journey in logistics has exposed him to both highly structured global players and more agile operational environments. That contrast has shaped his appreciation for responsiveness and adaptability.

At GLS, he sees a company that still carries an entrepreneurial spirit despite its size. Over the years, the organization has retained what he describes as a startup-like mindset: quick decision-making, openness to experimentation, and close collaboration with customers.

This approach, he notes, is particularly relevant in e-commerce logistics, where growth can be rapid and operational requirements shift constantly.

Global Reach, Delivered Through Local Expertise

One of the themes Dokk consistently emphasizes is the balance between international scale and local execution.

GLS operates a unified cross-border parcel network spanning Europe and North America, with shared operational standards for pickup, sorting, transport, and delivery. Yet the company deliberately runs its international business through strong national teams that understand local regulations, customer expectations, and market realities.

For Dokk, this dual structure is essential:

Global infrastructure ensures consistency and visibility, while local expertise ensures service relevance. Customers benefit from predictable cross-border performance without losing the responsiveness of local support.

Making International Shipping Feel Domestic

A central ambition Dokk highlights is simplifying cross-border logistics so that it resembles domestic shipping in reliability and ease.

Operational resilience plays a key role. GLS maintains tens of thousands of delivery vehicles and thousands of nightly hub-to-hub truck movements, ensuring flexibility when volumes fluctuate or routes shift.

Equally important is network integration. The strengthening of transatlantic connections between GLS Europe and GLS US has enabled more direct parcel flows, competitive transit times, and improved tracking transparency — features traditionally associated with domestic shipping.

From the customer perspective, complexity is reduced, and international shipping becomes less intimidating.

Supporting SMEs Through Growth and Expansion

Dokk speaks frequently about small and medium-sized enterprises, which form a large portion of GLS’ customer base. Many SMEs lack dedicated logistics teams or deep operational resources, making international expansion challenging.

His focus is on removing friction.

Access to a large road-based parcel network, standardized international services, extensive pickup-point infrastructure, and integrated returns solutions allow smaller merchants to scale without building logistics capabilities internally.

He sees logistics not simply as transportation but as an enabler of business growth. When handled correctly, it removes barriers to entering new markets.

Returns, Convenience, and Customer Confidence

Returns management is another area where Dokk sees logistics shaping customer experience directly. In sectors such as fashion, return rates can be significant, and the ease of returns often determines where consumers choose to shop.

Simplified processes — QR code returns, local drop-off points, automated label generation — reduce friction for both consumers and merchants. At the same time, improved visibility helps retailers manage inventory moving back through the supply chain.

He also acknowledges evolving consumer awareness around sustainability, which is gradually influencing return behaviors and logistics strategies alike.

A Global Expansion

GLS continues to expand outside Europe, particularly in the United States, where operations now extend beyond the West Coast into additional states, including Texas. Asia is served through partnerships, allowing European customers access to key markets while maintaining GLS service standards.

GLS also recognizes the evolving needs of its customers and is continuing to expand into value-added services to complement its core parcel offerings by adding fulfilment solutions and freight services across GLS countries to provide end-to-end logistics support. By integrating these services, GLS aims to help merchants manage inventory, streamline order processing, and meet the demands of cross-border e-commerce.

This dual approach—reinforcing the parcel network while expanding into adjacent logistics services—allows GLS to deliver greater value to its customers, supporting their growth and ensuring the flexibility required in today’s fast-moving retail landscape.

Out-of-Home Delivery and Changing Consumer Behavior

Consumer expectations around delivery flexibility are evolving quickly, and Dokk sees out-of-home delivery — parcel shops and lockers — as a defining trend.

Adoption varies widely across Europe. Nordic markets show strong locker usage, while Southern European countries still favor home delivery. GLS is investing heavily in expanding pickup and drop-off networks to accommodate these regional differences.

For Dokk, convenience, efficiency, and environmental considerations all converge in this shift. Consolidated deliveries reduce urban congestion while giving consumers greater control over when and where they receive parcels.

Technology as an Enabler, Not the Headline

While technology underpins most modern logistics operations, Dokk frames it as an enabler rather than a differentiator in itself.

GLS’ API-driven infrastructure allows customers to integrate shipping directly into their systems — automating label creation, pickup booking, returns processing, parcel tracking, and customs data exchange. Crucially, this technological capability is supported by local teams providing IT assistance in customers’ own languages.

This combination of digital integration and human support reflects Dokk’s broader philosophy: technology should simplify logistics, but relationships still matter.

An Entrepreneurial Mindset in a Global Industry

Looking ahead, Dokk believes logistics providers must remain adaptable. Regulatory changes, evolving e-commerce patterns, sustainability concerns, and shifting consumer expectations will continue to reshape cross-border shipping.

What he sees as GLS’ strength is its ability to combine scale with agility — maintaining a global network while preserving the entrepreneurial culture that allows teams to respond quickly to customer needs.

For Dokk personally, the objective remains consistent: helping businesses expand internationally while keeping logistics straightforward, reliable, and close to the customer.

The post SPOTLIGHT ON...Ove Dokk, International Business Development Manager for GLS appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Return Helper has raised US$4 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered cross-border e-commerce returns infrastructure. The round highlights the growing importance of reverse logistics in international online retail, where returns are no longer seen as a simple operational cost but as a strategic part of profitability, customer experience, and inventory recovery.

The funding round brought together a mix of financial and strategic investors, including Cathay Venture, MLC Ventures, Jun Yue Investment, Pegatron Venture Capital, and returning investor Colopl Next. MLC Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation, is especially relevant to the company’s next phase, as Return Helper looks to deepen its logistics capabilities and expand further across Japan and other international markets.

Founded as a technology-first provider of global cross-border e-commerce returns solutions, Return Helper supports merchants selling through major platforms such as Shopify, Amazon, TikTok and eBay. The company operates more than 20 overseas warehouses, works with over 30 carriers and logistics partners, and has offices across Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.

The new capital will support three areas: international expansion, AI development and recommerce. Together, these priorities point to a larger shift in e-commerce logistics. As cross-border selling becomes more common, merchants increasingly need infrastructure that can manage not only outbound fulfillment but also returns, resale, recycling, refurbishment, and local recovery of returned inventory.

Why cross-border returns are becoming a strategic issue

Returns are among the most complex aspects of e-commerce. In domestic retail, they already pose challenges for customer service, warehouse operations, refunds, fraud prevention, stock visibility, and resale. In cross-border e-commerce, those problems multiply.

International returns can involve customs declarations, local regulations, fragmented carrier networks, long transit times, high shipping costs, inspection delays, and uncertain resale options. A returned product may be worth less than the cost of shipping it back to the original warehouse. For many merchants, especially those selling low-margin products internationally, the financial logic of cross-border returns can quickly break down.

That is the problem Return Helper is trying to solve. Instead of treating international returns as a linear process in which products are simply sent back to the point of origin, the company focuses on local handling and asset recovery. Returned items can be inspected, processed, resold, recycled, or redirected through local networks, helping merchants recover more value and reduce waste.

This approach is increasingly important in Europe, where e-commerce growth, sustainability expectations and regulatory pressure are all changing how retailers think about returns. Customers expect easy return options, but merchants need to control costs. Regulators and consumers are also paying more attention to waste, product destruction, and the environmental footprint of online retail. For cross-border sellers, that creates demand for smarter returns infrastructure.

AI as the next layer of returns management

Return Helper’s funding round also reflects a wider trend: the use of AI in operational e-commerce workflows. While much of the public conversation around AI in retail has focused on product recommendations, chatbots and content generation, the next wave of adoption is moving deeper into logistics and back-office operations.

Returns management is well-suited to AI because it involves repetitive yet decision-heavy processes. Every return can require a judgment: should the item be accepted, refunded, exchanged, repaired, resold, recycled, or routed to a specific warehouse? Should the merchant pay for return shipping? Is the product still suitable for resale? Is there a fraud risk? Is local recovery more profitable than international shipment?

AI agents and automated decision systems can help merchants process these decisions faster and more consistently. In Return Helper’s case, the company has stated that part of the Series A funding will go toward developing AI agents to automate return decisions. This suggests that the company is not only building logistics infrastructure but also decision intelligence for cross-border reverse logistics.

For merchants, the value is clear. Faster returns processing can improve customer satisfaction. Better routing decisions can reduce costs. Automated inspection and resale workflows can increase recovery rates. More accurate data can help teams understand why products are being returned and how to reduce future return volumes.

Recommerce moves to the center of the business model

One of the most interesting aspects of Return Helper’s positioning is its emphasis on recommerce. The company is not only helping merchants manage returns; it is helping them turn returned goods back into recoverable value.

Recommerce refers to the resale, refurbishment, or redistribution of returned, used, or excess inventory. In the context of cross-border e-commerce, recommerce can be especially valuable because returning products to the original market is often inefficient. A product sold into Europe from Asia, for example, may be too expensive to ship back. Local resale or recycling may be the better financial and environmental option.

This matters because e-commerce returns have traditionally been treated as a margin drain. A customer returns a product, the merchant loses the sale, shipping costs increase, warehouse work increases and the product may lose resale value. If returns can instead be converted into local resale opportunities, the economics change.

Return Helper’s model fits into this shift. By combining overseas warehouses, carrier partnerships, returns software, warehouse management systems and recommerce operations, the company aims to help merchants recover value from products that might otherwise become stranded, discounted or written off.

For European e-commerce, this is particularly relevant. As marketplaces, direct-to-consumer brands and cross-border sellers compete on convenience, return policies remain a major part of the customer experience. However, generous return policies are only sustainable if the operational model behind them is efficient. Recommerce gives retailers a way to balance customer expectations with profitability and sustainability.

Europe as a key growth opportunity

Although Return Helper has strong roots in Asia, Europe appears to be an increasingly important part of its growth story. The company has reported strong momentum in Europe, including significant revenue growth and a growing base of European merchant partners.

This is not surprising. Europe is one of the world’s most attractive e-commerce regions, but it is also highly fragmented. Different languages, consumer expectations, carrier networks, tax rules, and market structures make cross-border operations complex. For merchants selling into multiple European countries, managing returns through a single centralized workflow can be difficult.

At the same time, European consumers are accustomed to strong consumer protection standards and convenient post-purchase experiences. A poor returns experience can damage trust and reduce repeat purchases. For international sellers, especially those entering Europe from Asia or other regions, returns infrastructure can become a competitive barrier.

Return Helper’s European opportunity lies in helping those sellers localize the post-purchase experience. Instead of forcing every returned product through a lengthy international reverse-logistics chain, merchants can use local processing, local resale, and more flexible warehouse routing. That can reduce cost, shorten processing times, and improve customer satisfaction.

The role of strategic investors

The investor mix in Return Helper’s Series A is also significant. This is not only a software funding story. The participation of logistics-linked and corporate investors suggests that cross-border returns are becoming a priority area for the broader supply chain industry.

MLC Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Mitsubishi Logistics Corporation, brings a clear logistics angle to the round. Mitsubishi Logistics has deep experience in warehousing, transportation and supply chain infrastructure, which could support Return Helper’s expansion in Japan and beyond. Pegatron Venture Capital also adds a strategic dimension, given Pegatron’s wider role in technology manufacturing and supply chain ecosystems.

This type of investor base is important because returns management requires more than a software dashboard. It depends on physical infrastructure, carrier relationships, warehouse processes, local market knowledge, and operational execution. By combining software and logistics capabilities, Return Helper is positioning itself in a category where pure SaaS tools may not be enough.

What this means for merchants

For e-commerce merchants, the Return Helper funding round is part of a broader signal: returns are becoming a core part of international growth strategy. Brands that expand across borders without a clear returns model may face rising costs, slower refunds, poor customer reviews, and inventory losses.

A stronger returns strategy can help merchants in several ways. It can reduce unnecessary international shipping, improve refund speed, support exchanges, recover more value from returned items, and provide better data on product quality, sizing, customer expectations, and fraud patterns.

For marketplace sellers, the pressure is even higher. Platforms such as Amazon, TikTok Shop, eBay, and Shopify-based storefronts all create different operational requirements. Sellers that operate across multiple channels need systems that can centralize returns and connect the process with warehouses, carriers and resale channels.

Return Helper’s focus on multi-platform support is therefore important. By serving merchants who sell through Shopify, Amazon, TikTok, eBay, and other channels, the company addresses the reality of modern e-commerce: sellers rarely operate through a single storefront.

The wider market trend: from fulfillment to reverse logistics

For years, the e-commerce logistics conversation focused heavily on fulfillment speed. Retailers competed on faster delivery, better tracking, distributed warehouses, and last-mile convenience. That remains important, but the next competitive layer is reverse logistics.

As online sales volumes grow, return volumes grow with them. In categories such as fashion, footwear, electronics, and home goods, returns can represent a major operational burden. Cross-border returns add even more friction. This is why investors are paying closer attention to companies that can deliver returns more cheaply, smarter, and more profitably.

The Return Helper round shows that reverse logistics is becoming part of the core e-commerce technology stack. Returns management, warehouse software, AI decision-making, carrier orchestration, and recommerce are no longer separate functions. They are converging into a single post-purchase infrastructure layer.

This is also where AI can create measurable value. Unlike more experimental AI use cases, returns management has direct operational metrics: processing time, cost per return, resale recovery rate, refund time, customer satisfaction, fraud reduction, and inventory recovery. That makes it easier for merchants to connect technology investment with business outcomes.

Return Helper’s next challenge

The opportunity is clear, but the challenge is also significant. Cross-border returns are operationally complex, and scaling them across markets requires consistency, local knowledge, and strong execution. Return Helper will need to prove that its model can work across different regions, product categories, merchant sizes, and regulatory environments.

Its ability to integrate AI into real logistics workflows will also be important. AI-powered returns decisions can create value, but only if they are supported by accurate data, reliable warehouse processes and clear merchant rules. Automation in returns cannot be generic; it must account for product condition, category, value, customer history, regional regulation, and resale potential.

If Return Helper can combine AI decision-making with strong physical infrastructure, it could become an important player in the next phase of cross-border e-commerce logistics.

Return Helper’s US$4 million Series A funding round reflects a larger shift in global e-commerce. Cross-border returns are no longer a secondary operational issue. They are becoming a strategic battleground for profitability, customer experience, and sustainability.

By focusing on AI-powered returns management, recommerce and international logistics infrastructure, Return Helper is addressing one of the hardest problems in online retail: how to make global selling work after the sale has already happened.

For European merchants and international sellers entering Europe, the message is clear. Growth is not only about acquiring customers and shipping products across borders. It is also about building the infrastructure to manage what comes back. As return volumes rise and margins remain under pressure, companies that can turn reverse logistics into recoverable value may become increasingly important to the future of cross-border e-commerce.

The post Return Helper Raises US$4M Series A to Scale AI-Powered Cross-Border E-Commerce Returns appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Alexander Otto, Head of Corporate Relations, Tradebyte

In the world of cross-border fashion and lifestyle e-commerce, everyone talks about growth. Market expansion, customer acquisition and conversion rates are all key metrics. However, few discuss about one of the biggest threats to profitability, and one of the greatest untapped opportunities: returns.

Returns aren’t just a logistics issue - they’re a strategic blind spot that’s costing brands millions. The brands that start measuring, understanding, and managing returns with the same intensity they apply to sales are the ones that will come out on top.

The silent margin killer

Return rates in the fashion and lifestyle industries can account for up to 50% of the gross margin, and that can be the difference between a profitable operation and one that’s slowly bleeding cash. What’s worse, many brands don’t even know where they stand. Without access to industry benchmarks or market-specific context, they’re flying blind, assuming a 30% return rate is bad in one country or decent in another, without knowing what’s normal. A 45% return rate in Germany might seem outrageous until you realise the national average hovers above 50%. In contrast, a 25% rate in France might signal serious inefficiencies if the market average is 18%.

One size does not fit all

Brands that treat all markets the same are setting themselves up for failure. Culture, customer expectations, and local fulfilment realities all shape return behaviours. In the UK, for example, the average return rate is just over 14%, whilst in Switzerland, it tops 55%.

Trying to standardise return policies or operational approaches across these vastly different consumer environments is like using a single shoe size for every foot; you’ll either overcompensate and erode your margins, or under-serve your customers and lose their loyalty.

The real cost of returns

A return doesn’t just mean a refund - each one triggers a chain reaction of cost centres: reverse logistics, repackaging, customer service time, restocking, potential markdowns and, in many cases, unsellable inventory. On average, each return costs between €10 and €15, and that’s before factoring in the damage to customer lifetime value when return experiences are frustrating or inconsistent.

These costs are hidden in plain sight - finance sees them, operations feel them, but often they’re not central to strategic decisions.

From reactive to proactive

The most successful brands don’t just accept returns, they study them. They track return rates not just by country, but by category, product type, channel, and season. They look for outliers: which products get returned the most, and why? Which markets have improving or worsening trends? What percentage of returns are size-related, quality-related, or expectation-related?

In a high-volume market, even a 1-2% improvement in return rates can lead to millions saved annually. But you can’t improve what you don’t measure, so benchmarking plays a critical role here. Knowing how your performance compares to that of your peers in each region provides the context to distinguish between problems and patterns. Are you underperforming, or is the whole market facing similar challenges? This clarity turns guesswork into strategy.

Today, most brands and marketplaces are operating across borders, simultaneously navigating vastly different return behaviours, legal frameworks, and customer expectations in each region. This fragmented reality makes it nearly impossible to handle returns with a single in-house approach. To manage the complexity, scale, and evolving demands of international operations, brands increasingly rely on strong partnerships with external solution providers. 

These partnerships bring essential expertise and infrastructure, but they also add costs and layers to an already complex ecosystem. From strategy and technology stacks to the coordination of people, partners, and tools, managing returns across multiple markets isn’t just an operational task; it’s an ongoing balancing act that touches every part of the business.

Turning returns into a competitive edge

Returns don’t have to be a liability, however. Managed well, they can become a source of insight, differentiation, and even growth. They can deliver valuable advantages across multiple areas of a business. 

A smooth and reliable return experience builds customer trust and drives loyalty. Shoppers are more likely to make a purchase when they know they can return an item without friction. At the same time, consistently high return rates on specific products often reveal deeper issues such as poor fit, unclear descriptions, or quality concerns, giving product teams the insights they need to make fast, targeted improvements. 

Geographic return patterns also offer strategic guidance; brands that understand how behaviour differs by region can adapt sizing advice, adjust fulfilment models, or refine policies to better match local expectations and reduce avoidable returns. Perhaps most importantly, when all departments, from e-commerce and logistics to marketing, product, and finance, operate with a shared understanding of return data, businesses become faster, smarter, and more aligned in their decision-making.

The reality is that returns aren’t going away, and as cross-border commerce grows, return complexities will only increase. For brands willing to get ahead of the curve, however, returns can become a lever, not just to protect margins but to sharpen their competitive edge. 

The future belongs to the informed

In a market where margins are under pressure, competition is fierce, and customer expectations continue to rise, the ability to make informed, data-driven decisions regarding returns will be a key differentiator. Returns are no longer a back-office problem; they’re a boardroom priority. 

Brands that adopt this mindset won’t just reduce costs, they’ll develop better products, cultivate more loyal customers, and outpace competitors still stuck in a reactive returns mode. The question, therefore, isn’t whether you have a return problem; it’s whether you recognise it, and what you're doing about it.

The post The Return Reckoning: Why Smarter Brands Are Using Returns as a Growth Lever appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Cinzia Barberis - Sales periods provoke mixed feelings in the industry. Do we love them? Do we hate them? Do we need them?

We are aware that there is a huge pool of customers that love them. In fact, they will only buy in sales periods. Maybe that’s why we are already seeing retailers starting their sales even before the general “go % off” dates.

What can go wrong?

Less than 40% is no longer considered a sale (and I am being generous). The downside? that impulsive buying due to the “bargain effect” will raise and so will do our returns rate.

It is true that sometimes we need discounts to place those items that were not so welcomed or that they were at the wrong price point. But we should definitely be careful with our margins.

Discount won’t be the only thing to take into account when setting a new price point respecting your margins, save some space for returns. 

Let’s be honest, as per a recent study done by the returns digital solution Reveni, 90% of consumers won’t buy if not offered the chance to return the product. There is no way to avoid them 😉

What can go right?

There is no ying without yang and no downside with a brightside. AI comes to the rescue.

Not just as a buzzword. As an extra pair of eyes to watch closely our customers and be able to clusterize them to predict their behavior. At least try to!

A great example of it is Vtex, they recently introduced AI in their returns module bringing 20% revenue to returns. 

What? Not losing money with returns? Is that possible?

Yes. 

Loyalty beyond returns

A great purchasing experience is a never ending story. It shouldn't be if you wanna increase your lifetime value. And a return is just a step of the way.

Step 1- Cluster your customers: serial returners apart, when we buy we want to keep the product. If we need to return it, it’s because something is wrong.

Step 2 - Make it easy: the easier the process the sooner you will have the product back to your stock to be sold again.

Step 3 - Give options: instant refund if it’s for buying another item, offer the chance to pick up the returned product when receiving the new one, return to shop or think about a most convenient option for you and your customer.

Step 4 - Information is power: keep your customer up to date with the process and when everything is ready. If they order a new product in exchange, ask them how the experience was. Make them feel part of it.

With all this said.

Are you ready for the summer crazy sales period? May a lower return rate be with you.

The post Sales and returns, what can go wrong? appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

As always, it will depend. 

By Cinzia Barberis - As in any other detail in life, one size does not fit all, so let’s start going back to basics and get real without getting lost in general - and pretty scary - statistics.

The purchase: Planned vs impulsive buying

It’s pure logic: planned purchases are less likely to end up as a return than impulsive purchases, with technology, fashion and cosmetics being the industries with more impulsive purchases. 

Need vs Desire

So, what happens when you mix desire, impulse and sales periods? Crazy return rates after Black Friday, Sales and Christmas campaigns when 1 out of 3 purchases may end up in a return.

The reason: Why am I really returning?

Serial returners aside (yes, we will speak about them in another post), let’s understand the why behind every return. Let’s be honest, we don’t like to return stuff so, if we did, there might be a reason.

You can get key insights to improve your product, detect manufacturing defects, discover new products to offer, missing info in your product description or new solutions you didn’t know you needed for your ecommerce… not bad, right?

In the era of hyper-personalisation you will need all these details to deliver the experiences your customers are looking for.

The industry: Returns are fashion victims

What to say, returns are fashion victims… or the other way around? As per Statista, the most returned categories are: 

• Clothing: 25%
• Bags, accessories and shoes 18% each
• Food & beverages 13% (that’s a new entry in the top 5!)
• Consumer electronics 12%

Will the reasons be the same in all four categories? Of course not. 

This general picture leaves us more questions than answers and there is a reason. We talk about returns in a global way, when every product or category has its own reasons and needs. Not to say that we pay all the attention to the negative parts of returns and none to the opportunities behind them.

If we take a look at statistics we see billions of dollars spent and an increasing trend in returns. But we can also find opportunities in these numbers such as: more than 6 out of ten shoppers prefer to return in-store. 

Ok, it’s true that returns create a lot of challenges in reverse logistics, stock planning, incomplete sizing in fashion, the dilemma of whether to charge or not for returns… ad eternum.

But these are just the end of the list, and we are so focused on this part that we can’t see all we can do before.

Maybe it is time to rethink our approach to returns. And this is the real challenge for 2024. In the following posts I’ll try to think out of the box to find the hidden treasures and opportunities at every step of the returns process.

Cinzia Barberis / Head of Marketing & Communication at Naiz Fit

The post What are the real challenges behind returns? appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

H&M has announced it will increase its return fee to 1 euro per returned product, and H&M club members will no longer be exempt. 

H&M is one of the fashion companies to add return fees to reduce the number of returns and associated costs in Europe, where free return policies have become an issue - even at the environmental level - with thousands of returned fashion items per month. 

In fact, during 2022 in the UK, e-commerce returns cost reached the mark of £7bn and heavily impacted companies’ carbon footprints. In one single hour, during 2022 Christmas day, 709 products were returned online via ZigZag; showing an increase of 24%

H&M return policy won’t be the same in each country

Return fee policies vary between countries where H&M operates online. Belgian online shoppers already pay a fee of 1.95 euros (four cents less than in the Netherlands), except for Plus members. 

In France, H&M charges a fee of 0.95 euros, but members do not have to pay for returns. The same applies to the United Kingdom market, where non-members must pay 1.95 British pounds. For German shoppers, returning items is still completely free, whether they are members or not.

Return fee policies are growing 

Recently, in the Netherlands, Wehkamp announced a return fee cost of 0.5 euros, a decision taken to tackle the growing concern about how returns affect the carbon footprint and general logistics costs. 

The online department store revealed at a conference that approximately five thousand fewer products are returned daily, which accounts for 10% of their total sales.

The post H&M has increased its return fee to 1 euro appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

H&M will charge customers for online returns in the UK starting in September. The Swedish company will begin charging £1.99 (€2.29) for returns on online orders in the UK. In-store returns and delivery points will continue to be free of charge.

According to company sources told Modaes, "the pilot project aims to test the operational feasibility and market acceptance of new models for returning its products online, in line with the company's sustainability strategy and changes in the sector".

Thus, after implementing this measure in the United Kingdom, the same sources have expressed that "the initiative will be evaluated soon to analyze the possibility of introducing new charges for returns in other countries in the coming months". 

On its UK website, the group details that no charge will be applied for defective or incorrect items. Returns will also be accessible for members.

H&M charging for online returns started last year globally 

In September last year, H&M rolled out this measure in several markets on a trial basis, albeit exclusively to online returns. Earlier this year, Inditex also announced that Zara would start charging for online returns in Spain, joining other countries where the Galician group's flagship brand had already begun implementing this measure, including all European markets. Other companies, such as El Corte Inglés, Mango Outlet or Shein, were already charging for online returns.

Similarly, Asos currently charges €1.95 for orders that are returned more than 14 days from the date received. 

If the item is returned before that period, the return is free of charge. On its side, Zalando set a minimum order of 24.90 euros for free shipping. If it is less, the shipping amount is 2.90 euros. Regarding the return policy, the German marketplace allows free returns within 100 days of purchase.

The post H&M will charge customers for online returns in the UK appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Whistl concluded this after a study in which they looked at the parcel return behaviour of UK-based online shoppers. Approximately 60% of respondents did not pay for delivery and said that their return had nothing to do with the free delivery. This is despite the fact that clothing, shoes and consumer electronics purchases are among the most returned items.

Do customers check the returns policy?

The research shows that the items that are most likely to be returned are clothes and shoes. This is followed by consumer electronics and home & kitchen appliances. On the other hand, the items least likely to be returned are books, items for pets and video games.

Whether a customer checks the return policy before purchase, after purchase or not at all, depends on what items are bought. Research shows that most consumers will read the returns policy before they buy garden items or car accessories online. However, when they buy disposable items (books, CDs), consumers are far less likely to check a returns policy.

Customers check the returns policy before ordering when purchasing garden and outdoor items, car accessories and DIY items. They check the return policy afterwards when ordering kitchenware, furniture and items for children and babies. Checking the return policy when the order has already been received is most common with gifts, hobby items and consumer electronics. As for the question of what makes a good return policy, the respondents of Whistl's study said that free returns, quick refunds and pre-printed return labels are most important.

The post Free delivery doesn’t increase return volume appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

These findings come from research done by DynamicAction’s Retail Index: Spring 2019. Online consumer transactions from the beginning of 2019 until the 15th of April were analysed. Of these, the total amount came to almost 11 billion euros. The research shows a growing trend from consumers to buy multiple products online with the intent of returning some items.

Free shipping increases returns

The rise of 3% in free shipping can be explained by the actions of online retailers. They are looking for a way to attract customers in order to keep up with their competition. However, major online retailers such as Zalando and H&M are now trying to back out of free delivery. Strategies such as site-wide promotions or one-day sales are the reason for the 29% rise in sales during short-term promotions. The study shows that this is especially noticeable during (short) holidays such as Valentine’s Day.

According to the managing director EMEA, Michael Patterson, it is important for retailers to find the balance between the impact to their bottom line and consumer convenience. The lifetime profitability needs to be prioritised over immediate sales. This to ensure that consumer expectations (that keep on increasing) do not get in the way of overall profits.

The post Returns in Europe increase with 8% appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.