96% of Americans care! Sellers can boost sales by doing this well

Recently, Shopify's returns platform Loop surveyed 1,000 US online shoppers to better understand how returns affect customer retention.

The report shows that Americans are increasingly concerned about product return policies, and whether the policies are transparent indicates how much the brand and seller care about consumers. When the post-purchase experience is not good, 57% of American shoppers will permanently blacklist the store or brand .

The ongoing financial crisis has led to 80% of consumers expressing a lack of confidence in future consumption. While reducing purchases of non-essential items, they are also increasingly concerned about return costs.

Surveys show that 96% of online shoppers will check the return policy before purchasing , and stores with more transparent, clearer operations and lower prices are more likely to attract their attention. They would rather the product be priced higher than others and are willing to buy from them .

Aaron Schwartz, president of Loop , said that a bad return experience can greatly lead to a bad impression of the seller or brand. If sellers do not consider the quality of after-sales service , they will miss the key opportunity to build trust and improve customer retention.

Product discounts and after-sales rewards are key factors in increasing purchase rates

87% of consumers surveyed said that post-purchase incentives would influence their likelihood to shop with a retailer again .

52% of consumers value product discounts, 41% value coupons for future purchases, and 34% focus on unlimited returns.

A clear, easy-to-understand return policy helps increase retention

Many consumers would rather incur the additional cost of a product than participate in an unclear or time-consuming returns process .

Nearly half ( 45% ) of consumers said that product price is also a factor in whether they return a product. They generally do not choose products priced at $50 or less because the refund amount is not worth their time and effort , but they would never buy from the product again or recommend it to others.

Additionally, 42% of shoppers prefer to return items through a shipping company like UPS or FedEx . Nearly a quarter ( 24% ) choose to have their items picked up at their doorstep , while another 18% prefer to return the product directly to the retailer’s store.

At the same time, environmental protection is also an issue they pay close attention to. More than half of consumers ( 56%) are concerned about the impact of returns on the environment . Due to potential environmental impacts, more than a third ( 35% ) of consumers even choose not to return products.

According to a survey by Pitney Bowes , a global e-commerce service giant , online return costs now account for 21% of retailers' average order value .

Some industry experts said that providing consumers with a good return experience can effectively improve customer retention and product recommendation rates. Appropriate measures can be provided to encourage consumers to change refunds and returns into exchanges , or relevant discounts can be provided for their next purchase of other products .

Today's economic and market uncertainties are forcing consumers to spend money more cautiously. Compared with the past, the return rate is also increasing. How to avoid this loss is an issue that sellers urgently need to think about and solve.

USA

Online shopping