With annual shopping spike dates of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas fast approaching, new research shows the need for retailers to educate consumers on the returns options available to them
New research conducted by Opinion Matters and commissioned by NetDespatch, reveals that students are by the far the biggest returner of goods with 50% of those surveyed returning anywhere between 11 and 25% of purchases. Moreover, 42% of students stated that they would only purchase from a retailer with a free returns policy and who make it easy to return goods.
Findings from the research showed that traditional locations for returning items are the most popular with consumers, with 78% of those surveyed stating that they would choose to return items via the Post Office. More modern returns options such as collect from work were surprisingly low with only 8% of those surveyed having used this option, whilst 5.5% chose to use a locker box and a mere 4% of those surveyed used railway stations for returns.
“The results from the survey clearly highlight the pressing need for retailers to further educate consumers about all the different returns options that are now available to them,” said Matthew Robertson, Commercial Director, NetDespatch. “At NetDespatch we believe that this lack of understanding around returns means that consumers are opting for the more traditional options which are not always the most convenient or practical. In today’s 24/7 world, surely waiting at home for a courier to collect a parcel is time that consumers would prefer spending on more productive tasks.”
The study, “Many Happy Returns”, identified the following top UK consumer return habits and drivers associated with returns:
- 31% of women, compared with 25% of men, had returned between 1 and 10% of the goods they had purchased online.
- 31% of those surveyed stated that they would only purchase from retailers who have a free returns policy in place.
- 78% stated the Post Office, 43% preferred to wait at home for a courier to collect and 39% suggested that they preferred to return goods to the local convenience store.
- 81% stated that an increased number of returns methods does not influence their decision to return goods.
- 53% of respondents said they expect to be refunded within 24-48 hours, whilst 47% expect to be able to track their returns.
- Students are by far the biggest returner of goods with half (50%) returning anywhere between 11 and 25% of purchases. 42% of students said they would only purchase from a retailer with a free returns policy and who make it easy to return goods.
- 50% stated that they preferred to return their items at a specific time of day.
- When returning an item in store, 48% admitted that they are likely to purchase another item whilst there.
- 57% have different returns expectations when purchasing overseas as opposed to the UK
Matthew Robertson concluded: “With the growth of cross-border ecommerce, investing in this area is essential for SMEs and bigger businesses alike. Many consumers are just becoming aware of the opportunities to buy outside the UK. Retailers need to offer broader options to allow these items to safely arrive in the country, and in good time, especially around shopping days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday and with Christmas fast approaching.”
The study was carried out in September 2015 and sampled 1,200 online shoppers. To obtain a copy of the full report, Many Happy Returns, click here.
