Behind the scenes, returns management often reveals a gap between the brand’s ambitions and the reality on the ground. The implementation of omnichannel retailing faces various obstacles:

• Operational obstacles: Although brands want to encourage online returns in-store, they face the rigidity of silos. Without accounting standardisation, an online return in-store negatively impacts the physical point of sale’s turnover, which is generally used to measure the performance of store teams, who then perceive it as a burden rather than a service. This is the number one obstacle to offering a seamless omnichannel experience.

• Technical obstacles: the store’s and website’s IT systems do not always communicate smoothly and seamlessly, making it impossible to track returns consistently and manage the impact on store turnover, as mentioned above.

However, aligning return policies is not just a matter of logistics; it is a lever for growth. By removing these barriers, the brand transforms a potentially negative experience (the return) into an opportunity for immediate repurchase, advice and physical loyalty.

The ultimate challenge: brand consistency. For customers, the brand must be a single entity. When this is not the case, customers do not understand why the rules differ depending on where they make their purchase. This perceived inconsistency generates frustration, a drop in NPS and, ultimately, the risk of customers leaving for brands that have adopted a “zero seam” approach.
To align the experience, leading brands are working on:

• Unified governance of returns (retail management + e-commerce management);
• Common KPIs (overall net turnover, customer lifetime value, omnichannel repurchase rate);
• Standardised processes (labels, checkout tools, payment methods) to eliminate any distinction between channels in the eyes of the customer.