Steve Jobs was desperate to make Apple focus on customers. “Some people say, ‘Give the customers what they want.’ But that’s not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do.” That’s a classic Jobs quote you’re probably…

As in so many things, communication is key when dealing with e-commerce returns. Marketers often discuss brand touchpoints, meaning the website, physical store locations, advertisements, sponsorships, and most crucially, when using, wearing or owning the product. However, one under-appreciated and crucially important brand touchpoint is…

Having spent a decade (which I recognize is not a massively long time in this industry!) working in the front line of the first and last mile, I wanted to discuss some of the key changes I’ve seen from our unique perspective as Doddle –…

Erwin Schrödinger came up with his now-infamous cat partly out of frustration with the complexities of quantum physics and the apparent impossibility to know with certainty where things would be. That’s a relatable frustration to anyone who works in inventory management! For the unfamiliar, the…

Returns are one of retailers’ biggest problems in today’s e-commerce landscape – with 63% of merchants saying it’s a significant problem for their business. Without effective returns strategies, retailers are experiencing increased costs thanks to processing, sorting and restocking returns – all while damaging the…

To cope with rising return rates and shrinking costs, many retailers have opted to start charging for returns. In 2023, the number of retailers charging for returns rose by 31% to 40% in the U.S. Our data shows that 53% of merchants charge for returns,…

Returns are one of the biggest challenges facing retailers today. Not only are they a drain on profits – for every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $145 million in merchandise returns – but they’re also damaging for sustainability. Each return adds to…

In a fiercely competitive world where customer loyalty is hard-won and easily lost, retaining customers is vital to retail growth. Not only is it easier to sell more to customers who already love your brand, but a 10% increase in customer retention can increase profitability…

Our research reveals 63% of merchants consider returns a significant problem for their business. With high processing, sorting, and restocking costs and ever-rising return rates, it’s clear that returns are implicated in many of the challenges that retailers face today. The simple truth is that…

This blog post was written by Wayne Snyder, Vice President, Industry Strategy – Retail EMEA, and Gael Ramaen, Corporate Vice President – EMEA. Both are avid football (also called soccer in other parts of the world) fans and will be cheering on their respective teams…