Sometimes I have my doubts about a product I’m thinking of buying online. It can be looks or fit. If the same product with the same price is available from several shops where one offers free returns by mail or store, I will chose that one. If the product is only available in one special shop, it is more likely that I order and take a chance if it is easy to exchange or return. Surveys show that consumers are more ready to order if they don’t have to take the final decision when the order is submitted.
The Door-to-Door Sales Act gives you as a consumer the right to cancel your purchase within 14 days, something that physical stores don’t have to offer, but always applies when you order a product in Sweden over Internet. You have to pay the return freight yourself, but you are never forced to keep an ordered product if you change your mind within two weeks.
There are several different combinations with different number of days for purchase on approval and exchanges, for regular price and sale, variants where members are offered more generous term. An idea I like, where loyal customers are rewarded in that way too.
I almost never try out clothes at the physical store, but instead at home where I can take my time, and returns the next time if I need to. E-commerce should be just as flexible. That H&M still doesn’t offer returns or exchanges is a bit surprising, I order mainly things that I am sure that I will keep. It is also cheaper and easier for companies to handle returns in the store, and just make the product available for a new sale. 2014 is mentioned as the year of omnichannel, there are a lot of companies that need to start integrating all available channels.
I think that the big questions is not if there will be more returns or exchanges if you offer a flexible solution for the customers, but if it will generate more orders.
