The rapidly changing retail landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shed light on how customers and retailers alike handle their online returns. Take a look inside the newest contactless offering coming to Optoro’s Returns Experience solution – Express Returns. Rolling out early next year, this offering will give retailers access to a nationwide network of packageless returns drop-off points, to include more than 1,000 Staples® Stores.
In this week’s episode of the Returns Report, our Co-Founder and President, Adam Vitarello, sat down with Craig Grayson, Vice President / GMM, Print & Marketing Services at Staples Stores, to discuss why we created this solution and its impacts on the future of retail.
The Problem with Online Returns (Before + During COVID-19)
- Customers think the current process is inconvenient
- Shoppers don’t like waiting in long lines in stores
- Printing and packaging is an issue for customers without a printer or empty boxes ready at home
- Safety concerns around COVID-19 are still prevalent and will remain a priority in 2021
- Retailers are facing increased complexity & returns surges
- This holiday season will be e-commerce dominant, with expected returns surges
- Omnichannel retailers are facing intermittent store closures
- COVID-19 safety policies differ by state and therefore store-to-store
- Many customers are uncomfortable dropping off returns to shipping carriers or returning in store during quarantine
The Solution: Express Returns
- After hearing from retailers and customers, we developed a new offering that enables safe and convenient returns in the following ways:
- Contactless: Shoppers can safely and conveniently drop-off their items at a physical location by presenting a QR code and immediately receive their refund
- Labelless: Customers do not need to print a shipping label and can simply drop the item off as is at the location they choose in the Return Portal
- Packageless: Shoppers can return products from Optoro’s retail customers to one of Staples’ 1,000+ drop-off locations without a box or any type of packaging
To get started with Express Returns for your business, check out our Returns Experience solution and schedule a demo today.