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~ ZigZag Global ~

CROSS-BORDER RETURNS – A HEALTH CHECK
10 QUESTIONS

FOR EVERY ONLINE

RETAILER MANAGING

CROSS-BORDER

RETURNS

Author: Al Gerrie, CEO of ZigZag Global, [email protected] // Photos: ZigZag

At ZigZag, our mission is to help online retailers and marketplace merchants prosper. In
order to meet ever-growing consumer expectations of product returns, we want to help
sellers harness the power of new developments in the logistics industry.

eturns are important to online shoppers. 1) Do you understand your current returns position and
Over 70% of buyers say they check the re- what it’s costing?
Rturns policy before they click the buy button. Data-gathering, measurement and analysis are vital disci-
30% confess to over-purchasing to ensure they get plines in business. However, day-to-day routines of keep-
what they want on first delivery. Challenges are even ing the wheels on can be all-consuming. Therefore, online
more acute in some sectors. In the fashion busi- retailers’ proper understanding of crucial online sales aspects
ness, for instance, evidence shows that 50% of items is often put on the backburner and is, unsurprisingly, their
bought get returned to retailers. It is fair to say all downfall.
of these challenges are compounded when it comes
to cross-border e-commerce and more so in the light Put in place a robust method of recording and measuring
of challenges such as Brexit, and the associated trade the number of returns you receive, why they are being made,
tariffs arising with it, on the horizon. how much effort your team put into processing them, and
estimate a cost. Calculating the expense isn’t just about
But this headache can be an opportunity to take a strategic money spent. It’s also vital to consider the time your staff
approach and offer something better than your competition. expend on processing returns.
Your returns policy and customer experience are powerful
sales tools at your disposal. 2) Is your returns policy sending out the right signals?
Your returns policy is a sales tool. As shown by research
Give your business a returns health check from Metapack published in 2018, 73% of shoppers often or
Black Friday and Cyber Weekend are just around the corner, sometimes check the returns policy when deciding whether
so take some time to reassess the needs of your customers or not to make a purchase.
and whether what you are offering meets this demands. A
timely review, a refreshed approach and a willingness to in-
novate could be a real boost to your business this year.

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