Optimizing returns and overall business rating of a leading Footwear brand

OVERVIEW: 

Every retailer’s ultimate goal is to successfully meet customer’s needs and provide them with the best shopping experience. 

A leading footwear brand partnered with us to significantly lower its customer return rate and improve its business rating score. 

CHALLENGE:

Customer returns remain a consistent challenge for the brand. High return rates affected sales and impacted the brand’s online image leading to additional issues like poor seller rating, blocked listings, poor product reviews, less visibility, and even loss of buy box. 

Reducing the number of returns became critical for the brand, and Tenovia created a best-in-class returns process forging stronger customer loyalty and improved brand image. 

GOALS                    

• Reduce the number of seller controllable returns and the loss on sales incurred in the process of returns.
• Study the inconsistency and further provide standardization for Size charts for all the products listed.
• Improve QC procedures in the warehouse before shipping

APPROACH: 

To understand the exact cause of high returns, we analyzed SKU-wise returns, sizes, listing errors, product quality, shipment issues, customer reviews. 

We found that almost 60% of returns were due to size issues, and customers majorly reported that the product was smaller in size than expected. 

Through further research, we highlighted errors in the size chart in the listings for some SKUs, which were then modified to reflect correct sizes. A list of these SKUs was sent to the warehouse for physical inspection. 

Additionally, incorrect shipments by the warehouse, damaged products, quality concerns were the other causes of high return rates.

Suggestions to reduce these returns were shared with the warehouse and implemented to reduce returns significantly across the marketplaces.

RESULT: 

• Reduction of 26% in the number of returns from January till May for Flipkart
• Increase in the seller rating score to 4.5 from 4.2 in four months and better brand visibility.
• Positive brand image and awareness among online shoppers.