Many consumers who shop online prefer to return items to brick-and-mortar stores rather than mail them back. In a new study, researchers assessed a new practice called return partnership, in which online retailers partner with retailers with physical stores to offer offline returns. They conclude that this arrangement can benefit both online and store retailers, though businesses should be careful to choose the right partners.
Many consumers who shop online prefer to return items to brick-and-mortar stores rather than mail them back. In a new study, researchers assessed a new practice called return partnership, in which online retailers partner with retailers with physical stores to offer offline returns. They conclude that this arrangement can benefit both online and store retailers, though businesses should be careful to choose the right partners.
The study, by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington (UW), is published in Management Science.
«Retailers are increasingly adopting a variety of ways to return products to cater to customers’ preferences,» explains Soo-Haeng Cho, IBM Professor of Operations Management and Strategy at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon, who co-authored the study. «These new approaches can be a win-win for online sellers and stores.»
To reduce problems for consumers who want to return goods without having to package and mail them, online retailers (e.
