Millennials want free delivery > discounts

The returns process has always been a hassle for many shoppers—particularly the task of having to ship something back. Amid the pandemic, these pain points are just as prevalent, if not more so.

Logistics have become vital to the success of any business that sells its products and services online. In Latin America, the ability to make quick and on-time deliveries—especially outside of major urban centers—often proved to be a quite complex task due to large swaths of unpaved roads and underdeveloped infrastructure in many countries.

Business Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes and eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Andrew Lipsman discuss what shopping will look like next year: How quickly shoppers will return to stores, which brick-and-mortar stores will be left, and what the most popular payment methods will be. They then talk about consumers losing patience with Peloton, what shoppers want from returns experiences, and Facebook's new live in-app shopping feature.

When the UK government announced a nationwide lockdown for November, the impetus for retail holiday ecommerce shopping was ratcheted up another notch, given that Black Friday shopping falls within this period.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand Cuts Clothing has grown a lot since it first launched in 2016 on Kickstarter. “Since day one, we have been focused on making premium minimalist shirts for the modern man,” said Steven Borrelli, CEO and co-founder of Cuts.

As convenience becomes an increasing driver of consumer behavior, we explore how friction-reducing technology advancements are helping retailers generate more sales.

More retailers are prolonging their return policies and encouraging consumers to continue sheltering in place and practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Digital retailers bristle at the mere mention of the term “serial returner.” Many have put policies in place to block this apparent scourge. But there’s a difference between someone who consciously games the digital retailing system for their own insidious gain and a strong brand advocate who just wants to try multiple items and buy.

Retailers across Western Europe are pioneering the use of AI to boost digital sales, and new options for delivery and returns are emerging. Yet Europe’s main markets have been slow to embrace social commerce.

UPS is anticipating a surge of returns this holiday season, leading into the new year. According to the company, 1.6 million packages are expected to be returned daily the week of December 16 leading into Christmas. And a record-breaking 1.9 million returns are expected to take place on this year’s peak returns day—January 2—up 26% over last year.

This summer, Nike will roll out its latest augmented reality (AR) initiative, Nike Fit. While the feature is another move toward independence and away from wholesalers, it could also help to alleviate the biggest hassles of online shopping when it comes to clothes and accessories.

After initial signs of success, Kohl’s will expand its Amazon returns program nationwide in July. The pilot program, which launched in Chicago and Los Angeles in 2017, performed particularly well, leading to 9% growth in new customers and 8% growth in revenues compared with national growth of 1% and 2%, respectively, according to payment data analyzed by Earnest Research.

The possibility of having to return something is dissuading consumers from buying certain products online.

eMarketer's "Do You Have a Second?" is a mini-podcast that offers a quick hit of the latest digital data. Today, we’re talking about online returns for the holiday season, apparel discounting over the Thanksgiving shopping period and consumers' resolutions for the New Year.

According to data from liquidation platform B-Stock Solutions, roughly $90 billion to $95 billion in holiday gifts will be returned this year.

Return policies used to be viewed as a necessary evil. Behind the scenes, logistics can create a lot of headaches for retailers, but consumers expect a seamless process. Flexible returns have also become a differentiating factor that can make or break customer loyalty.

Following Amazon’s decision to ban consumers suspected of abusing its return policy, 61% of US retailers in a recent Brightpearl survey said they would consider a similar move to rid themselves of serial returners.

There's no denying that ecommerce is disrupting the retail industry. But when it comes to returning a digital purchase, most consumers prefer to head to a physical store.