Many retailers offer “Return in Store” capabilities, but often this is rudementary, disconnected from a systems standpoint, and full of “friction” to the consumer.
The key to pulling off Buy Online – Return in Store,”BORIS” as it’s called by some, is to have fully integrated POS and OMS solutions centered on real-time view of the order and the original payment tendered at the point of initial sale.
The Benefits
Retailers who implement BORIS capability see:
- Increased customer satisfaction.
- More repeat customers.
- Higher in-store sales (at the point of return, for an exchange)
- Reduction in call-volume to call-center, due to clear policies on returns
- Reduction in inventory shipped back to DCs and other nodes
- Avoidance of returns shipping cost, if policy is for “Free-returns”
The In-Store Returns Process
The Preparation
Each of the four sections below are preparation areas to consider before starting your project. Hover over each line item to get more details and validating questions.
Research & Requirements
- Complete a Compeitive Analysis
- Understanding Timing of the Project
- Getting Organized for Requirements Sessions
System Design & Implementation
- Confirming Picking / Pickup System
- Validating Customer Interactions
- How ‘Real-Time’ Does Integration Need to Be?
Project Planning
- Building a foundation of good data
- Understanding Project Dependencies
Change Management Considerations
- Corporate Governance of the Solutions
- Impacts to the Store Associates in the Field
The Challenges
Disconnected Systems
Challenges
- Store Associates lack ability to pull up ecommerce orders from POS/devices
- e-Commerce and POS payment gateways, when disconnected don’t allow refund to original payment
- Due to e-Comm Order not being able to be pulled up, the return is never tied back to original order status, causing visibility issues to other associates, namely CSRs
Considerations
- POS/OMS Integration
- Device Management
- Order Status Sync
- Payment Tokenization
Cross-Channel Inventory
Challenges
- e-Comm only SKUs don’t have place on planogram, so typically go to the clearance section or are tagged “Return to Vendor”, adding cost
- Inventory is not dispositioned at store upon return, so no knowledge to OMS to try to sell first
Considerations
- Returns Policy
- Extended Marketplaces for Returned Items
- Better Inventory Tracking
The “BORIS” Insights
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