Doddle survey indicates the importance of retailers’ returns experience

In their e-commerce experience, consumers consider returns as equally significant as delivery and payment and many feel that retailers’ returns process for previously purchased items could be improved.

That’s according to a survey commissioned by international e-commerce solution provider Doodle.

In May 2020, the company conducted a survey, consisting of almost 1,400 US respondents, to understand how important e-commerce returns are to shoppers.

84 percent of shoppers believed the returns process to be important with regard to their opinion of a retailer, while 83 percent said the same for retailers’ delivery and payment procedure. The survey additionally found that 74 percent of respondents felt that retailers needed to refine the returns services that they are offering to their consumers.

When asked what factors contribute to the decision not to shop with a retailer again in the future, 60 percent said having to pay shipping fees to return an item, 40 percent stated taking a long time to get a refund on their return and 38 percent answered a too short returns policy window.

Meanwhile, to the question of what retailers could improve on in terms of their returns process, 68 percent of respondents agreed on free returns, while many saw the importance in convenient locations and packaging that can be reused for returns, with 45 and 44 percent, respectively.

“This insight is now more critical than ever, as Covid-19 has generated a significant bump in e-commerce sales, with e-commerce returns only expecting to increase as well as a result," said Dan Nevin, Doddle's North America CEO in a statement on Thursday. "Between the impending surge in returns, consumers' experiences with the process and the overall impact on satisfaction and retention, the timing has never been better for retailers to get a solid handle on their e-commerce returns processes and systems.”

Photo credit: Stringer Imaginechina via AFP