Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
    • F-O
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
    • P-R
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
    • S-Z
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • March 2025
    • September 2023
    • June 2023
    • March 2023
    • December 2022
    • SHOWCASE 2019
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2025 Awards
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Parcel + Post Expo
LinkedIn YouTube Twitter
  • Sign-up for Breaking News Emails
  • Meet the Editors
  • Contact Us
  • Media Pack
Subscribe
LinkedIn Facebook
Parcel and Postal Technology International
  • News
      • Automation
      • Business Diversification
      • Construction / Development
      • Cross-border
      • Delivery
      • E-commerce
      • Expo
      • Freight
      • IT & Systems
      • Last Mile
      • Lockers / PUDO
      • Logistics
      • Mail
      • Operations
      • Packets
      • Parcels
      • Peak
      • Retail
      • Returns
      • Sorting Systems
      • Staff / Personnel
      • Sustainability
      • Technology
      • Vehicles / Fleet
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. June 2025
    2. March 2025
    3. December 2024
    4. September 2024
    5. June 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. SHOWCASE 2019
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    July 2, 2025

    In this Issue – June 2025

    Online Magazines By Hazel King
    Recent

    In this Issue – June 2025

    July 2, 2025

    In this Issue – March 2025

    April 2, 2025

    In this Issue – December 2024

    December 5, 2024
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Analysis
  • Awards
    • 2025 Awards
    • 2024 Award Winners
    • 2023 Award Winners
    • 2022 Award Winners
    • 2021 Award Winners
    • 2020 Award Winners
    • 2019 Award Winners
    • Previous Winners
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Parcel + Post Expo
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
Parcel and Postal Technology International
Opinion

Returning Christmas gifts

Opinion WritersBy Opinion WritersNovember 13, 20144 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

The Christmas rush can be challenging but also highly profitable for retailers. Many e-commerce businesses focus time and money on providing customers with efficient and flexible delivery options in order to capitalize on this heightened demand. But when it comes to the inevitable post-Christmas return of unwanted goods the same level of attention and efficiency is not always apparent.

Christmas is the make-or-break period for many retailers. Analysts predict that nearly 13% of all retail sales will be online in December 2014, reaching £4.7 billion.1 While ecommerce companies fine-tune their delivery and fulfillment strategy to handle this volume upsurge, far less attention is given to the corresponding handling of returns. Who hasn’t heard a friend or relative say, “I’ve kept the receipt, if you don’t like it I can send it back”? And yet, too often, sending it back is a cause of frustration.

Getting the returns process right is crucial to customer satisfaction. Research by Harris Interactive shows that 85% of customers say they will stop buying from a retailer if the returns process is a hassle and, conversely, 95% will use the same catalog or internet retailer again if the process is convenient.2

Effective planning across delivery, fulfillment and returns from the outset should mean that things run as smoothly as possible when the Christmas rush kicks in. It’s always important to step back and view the process from a customer perspective, to ensure that services are clear, easy to use and reliable. Customers should be able to navigate the whole procedure simply and swiftly, and systems should be tested and tested again before being rolled out to the market.

By outsourcing the returns solution (and potentially the main distribution as well), companies can concentrate on simply producing a good website and online shopping experience for their customers. For small retailers especially, this may be an attractive option.

There are key benefits to partnering with an expert third party to plan and/or administrate the returns solution. The best providers will have the expertise to tailor the solution to the business, customizing it to deal with national and regional differences where necessary and advising on the most appropriate shipping and returns options for the volume of mail being processed.

This third-party expertise is particularly useful for any businesses looking to sell to customers internationally. There can be import and duty considerations for customers located outside the EU, so it’s important that any system is set-up correctly to ensure that the e-commerce retailer is complying with regulations and that the process can continue to be cost-effective during peak traffic times.

It should also be possible to integrate with existing IT systems and logistics providers to ensure minimal disruption and cost. Ideally, the returns process should be integrated into the website on a white label basis, so that as far as the customer is concerned, everything looks and feels the same.

E-commerce companies that ignore the returns process do so at their peril. As the competition for Christmas trade hots up, the returns process is likely to become an increasingly important differentiator as consumers seek the best supplier. There are many considerations to take into account. These not only include current requirements, but also how the business might grow, and whether the returns process has the flexibility to handle that growth. This may include consideration of overseas expansion and how the company will manage cross-border returns and the ensuing complications.

Ultimately, the returns process requires careful consideration to ensure that it works for the business and for the customer. Expert providers can help to develop a function that is flexible and efficient, tailored to the particular requirements of the business and equipped to deal with the challenges of the festive season and well beyond.

To read more on how posts can prepare for seasonal peaks, see ‘Tis the season in the January 2015 issue of Postal Technology International

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleDelivering growth
Next Article Consistent service

Related Posts

Opinion

OPINION: Consolidation versus resilience – what M&A means for the future of UK logistics

July 23, 20254 Mins Read
Opinion

OPINION: Building resilient parcel logistics in an era of constant disruption

July 14, 20256 Mins Read
Opinion

OPINION: First-year report card – What has the Labour government delivered for the logistics sector?

July 9, 20255 Mins Read

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Latest News

bpost to add 3,000th electric van to delivery fleet

July 30, 2025

FedEx adds more electric vehicles to Korean fleet

July 29, 2025

GLS Spain grows out-of-home delivery by 40%

July 29, 2025
Getting in Touch
  • Contact Us / Advertiser
  • Meet the Editors
  • Download Media Pack
  • Breaking News Emails
Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Supplier Spotlights
  • Cleveron AS
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Notice & Takedown Policy
  • Site FAQs
© 2025 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
elementorneverThe website's WordPress theme uses this cookie. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
JSESSIONIDsessionNew Relic uses this cookie to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesCloudflare set the cookie to support Cloudflare Bot Management.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded YouTube videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
uidsessionThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
vuid1 year 1 month 4 daysVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos on the website.
_ga1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors.
_ga_*1 year 1 month 4 daysGoogle Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysYouTube sets this cookie to measure bandwidth, determining whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYoutube sets this cookie to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the user's video preferences using embedded YouTube videos.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverYouTube sets this cookie to register a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA5 months 27 daysDescription is currently not available.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by