{"id":10334,"date":"2021-02-02T13:24:55","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T13:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/?p=10334"},"modified":"2021-06-24T11:29:53","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T11:29:53","slug":"process-optimisation-in-returns-management-how-to-improve-your-ecological-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/process-optimisation-in-returns-management-how-to-improve-your-ecological-footprint","title":{"rendered":"Process optimisation in returns management – How to improve your ecological footprint"},"content":{"rendered":"

Free returns and generous return timelines are the order of the day in online retail.\u00a0These are crucial elements of the business model.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe immense competitive pressure among online retailers is making it necessary. However, the negative economic and above all the ecological consequences are significant.\u00a0
\nAnd the clock is ticking.\u00a0So,\u00a0what should (online) retailers look out for in terms of sustainability and social responsibility in the future?\u00a0<\/p>\n

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RETURNS MANAGEMENT AS A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF DIGITAL TRADE (& ACTION)\u00a0<\/h3>\n

The growing volume of shipments, the increasing consumption of resources and emissions, the rising returns rate and the elaborate destruction of returned items are all severe side effects of online retailing.\u00a0However, returns in retail – online as well as stationary – cannot be avoided.\u00a0More than one third of the online shoppers order goods already with the intention of returning them.\u00a0Consequently, 11 percent of all internet purchases are returns. That’s too much. For a large part of these returns are never put back on sale. Across Europe, every second product that can no longer be classified as A-goods and offered accordingly is destroyed or recycled.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe fact that so many orders are returned in the first place is partly\u00a0because\u00a0it has never been easier to return orders – and partly even free of charge.\u00a0Whereas free of charge misleads the consumer here. Because “gratis” deliveries are never actually done for free. The planning, management and control of returns are resource-intensive and costly. At the same time, the flow of goods, finances and information must be calculated efficiently, cost-effectively and in a customer-oriented manner. Shipping and return costs are invariably calculated into the product price.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

BETTER TO SUPPORT AND RAISE AWARENESS OF THE SUBJECT<\/h3>\n

Environmental balance, sustainability,\u00a0ethics,\u00a0and the ecological footprint – the mass of returns no longer bears any healthy relation to the effort,\u00a0revenue,\u00a0and society’s responsibility. The shipping of goods, including returns, urgently needs greater awareness. Both on the customer side and from the shop operator’s point of view.\u00a0
\nNow, no (online) retailer wants more reluctance when it comes to shopping. Rather, it is all about shopping more consciously. And customers are willing to do so.\u00a0According\u00a0to a YouGov study, a good two-thirds of Germans desire better sustainability concepts for online retail. Climate-neutral and transparent\u00a0it should be.\u00a0The material and type of packaging – recyclable and reusable – can bring the ethical perspectives closer to the consumer and raise awareness accordingly.\u00a0Thus, for example, retailers could offer a multi-way system for shipping packaging. According to a bitkom survey, no less than 86 per cent of online shoppers would opt for reusable cartons<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

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\"Support\"<\/div> <\/div>\n \n
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In addition to reusable cardboard packaging, synthetic shipping bags are also a good approach. The products ordered are sent in these rather than in cardboard boxes or wrapped in plastic film. The shipping bag is then folded and sent back to the shop - whether as a return or unfilled.\u00a0Afterwards, the bag is reprocessed so that the (online) retailer can use it for packing and shipping the next order. Alternatively, deposit packaging could also be offered.\u00a0\u00a0
However, sustainability is a learning process. Retailers must accompany, sensitise,\u00a0and enlighten customers in their decision-making. This will also take the wind out of the sails of bad customer reviews (for example because of damaged, second-hand\u00a0packaging) at an early\u00a0stage.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n \n

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\"Optimise\"<\/div> <\/div>\n \n
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Optimise information management and product presentation\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Online shoppers would return far fewer orders if retailers provided more information about the ecological footprint of a return.\u00a0According to an inRiver study<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, 57 percent of online shoppers see a need for clarification here. However, information management itself starts much earlier - namely with the product and the presentation.\u00a0Decent and high-resolution photos, meaningful descriptions,\u00a0and measurements such as size, width, etc. After all, online shopping does lack the tactile experience of trying things on or trying them out.\u00a0AI technologies such as \"virtual reality\" or \"augmented reality\" are also conceivable,\u00a0and in 2021 no longer witchcraft.\u00a0Through detailed product descriptions and presentations, 360-degree views or indeed augmented and virtual reality, many blind and incorrect orders can be avoided and returns minimised. The more data, facts and information are provided on a product, the fewer surprises await the customer later at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Social<\/div> <\/div>\n \n
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Social sustainability and e-commerce do not\u00a0rule\u00a0each other\u00a0out\u00a0<\/h2>\n

A change in thinking can be seen in the e-commerce sector. Retailers and consumers alike are becoming more and more aware of their social responsibility. However, ecological sustainability and socially responsible returns management are learning processes.\u00a0This takes time. However, traders can support their customers, raise their awareness and, if necessary, \"shape\" them a little.\u00a0Retailers and companies too can learn and profit from their customers. By means of \"data sourcing\", for example and by collecting and evaluating as much information as possible during the entire returns process.\u00a0The more data can be converted into relevant information, the more detailed it is possible to find out why goods or complete orders are actually returned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Free returns and generous return timelines are the order of the day in online retail.\u00a0These are crucial elements of the business model.\u00a0\u00a0 The immense competitive pressure among online retailers is making it necessary. However, the negative economic and above all the ecological consequences are significant.\u00a0 And the clock is ticking.\u00a0So,\u00a0what should (online) retailers look out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10334\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parcel.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}