Retailers fall short on omnichannel returns

While most large retailers now offer omnichannel return capabilities, the experience may leave something to be desired.

According to The Omni-Returns Experience Report, a new study of 25 major retailers including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Apple, Gap, Sears, J.C.Penney and Macy's from StellaService, more than 75% of evaluated retailers offer buy online, return in store (BORIS).

However, while BORIS offer customer convenience, retailers are not taking full advantage of its opportunities. For example, retailers missed the opportunity to save the sale or upsell 87% of the time.

In addition, 40% of retailers offering BORIS did not consistently make the option clear to shoppers in packaging.

Once in store, shoppers took more than a minute on average to locate the return area. And associates did not pass StellaService's quality evaluations during 22% of in-store experiences.

"This research highlights how dynamic retailers have been in developing their omni-channel offerings -- building the infrastructure and capabilities to handle a growing number of multi-channel transactions," said Kevon Hills, VP of research at StellaService. "What's exciting is the huge opportunity BORIS creates for revenue growth, with retailers now having the opportunity to either save the sale or upsell customers in a way not previously available."