How Marketing Leaders Can Help Manage Product Returns

Returns continue to pose a significant challenge to meeting e-commerce profitability targets, as 1.9 million returns were processed during the 2019 holiday season, a 26% increase from the previous year. In response, retailers must balance the trade-offs of satisfying consumer expectations while also managing the cost of online returns. Although marketing leaders may lack the ability to pull the levers of operational cost control that most directly impact this (i.e., supply chain and pricing), they can manage the messaging and promotion of return-related information on their sites. Marketing leaders should lead customers toward the most cost-effective solutions while also providing them with a positive end-to-end experience.