Today, 24% of products sold in e-commerce have returned to France. E-retailers must evolve their returns logistics accordingly. In addition, the returns procedure has a direct impact on online sales: 72% of online buyers would buy more if it were simpler and more accessible, and they are already 66% looking at the return conditions before making their purchase. .
What impact on the supply chain?
Logistics is not just about getting the right package to the right place at the right time. It is also about ensuring "after-sales", that is to say withdrawals, exchanges, breakdowns, breakages... The traceability of a product no longer stops at the threshold of door of the house but lives for months, even years, through warranties and repairs. E-commerce has accelerated this phenomenon, which Vincent Torres, CEO of Revers.io, noted in 2009.
The stakes are high because good management of reverse logistics makes it possible to improve costs and deadlines, increase customer satisfaction, avoid poor ratings on the Internet and sell more. However, only 28% of companies currently claim to have reverse logistics ready to support the increase in their e-commerce activity.
So what to do?
Just as with outbound logistics, it is important to equip yourself with the right tools and the right partners to manage your return logistics. The issue is threefold:
- Simplify : the after-sales service process must be simple, fast and omnichannel for all of your collaborations: from your consumers, to your stores, your repairers or even your suppliers.
- Automate : automation makes it possible to reduce manual interventions to the strict minimum: handling of returned packages, invoicing, calls to a call center, etc. The goal is to capitalize on actions with high added value which are a real source of differentiation.
- Trace : the entire returns chain must be connected to track buyers' files end-to-end and make them available to all your partners at all times. This traceability will also give you data which, once analyzed, will allow you to anticipate points of friction and be proactive in your returns management.
It is on this analysis that the Revers.io platform was built. Previously neglected, returns management has become the 3nd consumer purchasing criteria. Distributors have a real challenge of modernizing their return organization to integrate it as a key element of their overall strategy.
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