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
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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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