Reindeer in Reverse: Preparing for Post-Holiday Returns
by Jaidyn Farar
For many people, exchanging gifts is one of the most exciting parts of the holiday season. They love the thrill of placing orders, walking out of stores with loaded shopping bags, and wrapping boxes in colorful paper (not to mention unwrapping the gifts they receive).
But once the excitement wears off, it’s time for a less enjoyable process: returning gifts that didn’t hit the mark.
Returns are common throughout the year—retailers estimate that nearly 17% of their annual sales in 2024 will be returned—but are especially frequent right after the holiday season ends.
Fortunately, you can take action now to decrease the burden of post-peak returns.
Check your list (and check it twice)
Returns may feel like an unnecessary headache, but they actually play an important role in the ever-increasing popularity of ecommerce. In an episode of the Unboxing Logistics podcast, Eric Wimer explained that clear return policies encourage customers to buy more:
“If customers [in the early days of ecommerce] knew what the return policy was upfront … [they were] more likely to purchase. The return side of the equation has played a very key role in opening up the floodgates to people purchasing online.”
Having a great return policy not only convinces people to buy more products (win!) but also makes it easier for your customer service team to handle return requests (double win!).
So just like Santa checks his list twice every year, double-check your return policy to make sure it’s clear, customer-friendly, and easy to find.
- Clear. Customers should be able to understand your returns process without having to wade through confusing language or vague instructions.
- Customer-friendly. To build trust and loyalty, craft a flexible policy that accommodates your shoppers’ needs.
- Easy to find. You might include the policy in your website footer, on product pages, and in post-purchase emails.
Get your team ready to dash through returns
One of the best ways to prepare for an influx in returns is to train your fulfillment staff to process them as efficiently as possible. They should be ready to work like Santa’s reindeer—swift and synchronized.
Make sure your team can do the following:
- Inspect returned products, assess their condition, and determine whether to issue refunds or replacements
- Use technology, such as the warehouse management system (WMS) and returns platform
- Communicate with customers to resolve any returns-related issues (such as a product that arrived damaged)
- Properly restock, refurbish, or dispose of returned products
Of course, you don’t want the stress of a busy holiday season to result in decreased productivity or higher-than-usual turnover. To reduce the burden on your staff, consider hiring seasonal employees to help handle order fulfillment and returns between October and January.
Give the gift of convenience
Aside from high-quality products, the best gift you can give your customers this year is a convenient returns experience.
The first big question is whether you’ll charge for returns. Although today’s shoppers strongly prefer free returns, some businesses charge shipping or restocking fees to cover the extra costs associated with returns processing. Ultimately, it’s up to your business to weigh the pros and cons of free returns.
Whether or not you charge for returns, you can make the process as simple as possible for customers by providing several methods for returning products:
- Digital return labels. Generate a digital return label that customers can print at home—and make sure to provide instructions for packaging and shipping the product.
- Physical return labels. If you’re in an industry known for frequent returns, like fashion, consider sending pre-printed return labels in each package. You’ll only pay for shipping if a label is used.
- Boxless, labelless returns. Some businesses provide QR codes that shoppers can use to simply drop products off with carriers (or schedule a porch pickup). Customers often prefer this option because it doesn’t require them to package products or print their own labels.
Make the holidays happier with EasyPost
EasyPost makes shipping and returns easier with pre-built carrier integrations, fast label generation, real-time package tracking, and more. With EasyPost, you’ll save time and money on shipping all year round, from your slowest periods to the rush of peak season.
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