New Look, which introduced a £1.99 fee for ecommerce returns at the start of this year, has rolled out return kiosks at selected stores providing customers with a free and convenient return option.
The return kiosks, powered by ZigZag’s returns platform, are also designed to reduce the amount of time spent by in-store staff processing returns, whilst also improving data collection.
Rachel Troke, senior product manager at New Look, explained: “One of the key drivers for launching the kiosks was that we weren’t getting the right data from our customers on why they were returning in store. A lot of items were being marked down as unwanted. A trend that didn’t match up with what we were seeing with our online returns.
“We suspected that customers were perhaps too shy to dive into the exact reason for making the return with the store colleague. It is understandable to not want to discuss potential sizing issues with a stranger.
“The in-store kiosks bring back that comforting anonymity you get with online returns for the customers whilst providing better data for our buying teams. We will now get close to 100% coverage across our ecommerce returns, collecting valuable data that will allow us to make smarter, more-informed decisions.”
After entering returns information online, customers can choose ‘Return to Store’ as a return option and, rather than printing out a sticker, will receive a QR code. New Look added that the kiosks are easy to find in store but stressed that staff are still happy to assist customers looking for that ‘personal touch’ in the returns process.
The fashion retailer also noted that while it had introduced a returns fee to recoup some of the costs associated with the reverse logistics, it has never charged for returns processed in store. It has found in-store returns to be an increasingly popular returns method this year. At over 400 stores, New Look offers accessibility to customers across the UK and in-store returns have doubled since the charge was introduced.
Read more about how retailers are handling returns in the recently published DeliveryX Returns 2023 report. Download the full report to discover:
- How some retailers are deploying loyalty schemes to deal with the returns problem
- What are the two return trends “Bracketing” and “Wardrobing”?
- Could repair and recommerce be the key to reducing the financial and environmental price of returns?
- How the growth of PUDO (pick up and drop off) networks could change the returns landscape
- Exclusive company profiles: Zara, Schuh and Amazon
