The pandemic has upended nearly all aspects of retailing. One area under particular stress is returns processing. It’s easy to see why: 30% of surging online purchasing is returned (and online returns top in-store by a 3-5x margin). The reverse supply chain has emerged as a strategic blind spot in many retail operations, putting hard-won customer relationships in peril.

Respected retailers like Ikea, Target, and Best Buy are turning to next-gen return processing systems to turn a potential liability into a customer journey bright spot. This playbook presents the facts on the new strategies, complete with proprietary survey results and a list of decision-making factors. Readers will also learn:

• How to use returns processing to differentiate your brand and enhance long-term customer loyalty
• How to identify the six hidden costs that often elude retailers in operations planning   
• What retailers can do to streamline and automate through a digital returns portal

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