The Postal Service™ has the right portfolio of returns solutions for businesses large and small.
Now that the holidays are over, what are you going to do with those gifts that you need to return? You ship them back — and you won’t be alone. While the overall percentage of returns compared to outbound shipment is relatively small at 5.2 percent, the volume of returns is on the rise (Source: Colography Group). Certain online merchants and catalogers reported returns greater than 30 percent. That number may be more accurate during this holiday season as online retail was predicted to grow over 8 percent according to researcher firm Forrester. In addition, various shipping offers motivated consumers to purchase more products online during the 2009 holiday shopping season than in years past, contributing to the growth of the post-holiday returns market.
The challenge for retailers and online merchants is offering customers a quick, easy, and convenient way to return unwanted purchases. Having a user-friendly method for handling returns can make or break how a customer feels about your business, and can be a deciding factor in whether they do business with you again in the future
Whether you are looking for a returns solution for your fulfillment operation or a way to manage product recalls, the Postal Service offers several convenient and easy-to-use return options. Not only does the Postal Service offer customized budget-friendly return options with unrivaled access to the largest shipping network in the United States, but it also connects every home and business nationwide, 6 days a week. High-volume shippers interested in providing customers with a convenient postage-paid option for returning merchandise can offer the Postal Service’s Parcel Return Service without breaking the bank. And getting return labels to customers is easy, too: They can be included in the outbound shipment, e-mailed to the customer, or downloaded from your company’s website.
Parcel Return Service combines the operational expertise of a third-party logistics provider with the Postal Service’s unmatched reach into homes and businesses. But if you run a small or mid-sized business and are just starting to offer return service, the Postal Service’s Merchandise Return Service is the solution for you. Merchandise Return Service offers the same value and convenience as Parcel Return Service, but gives small and mid-sized businesses multiple service options based on transit time and cost, allowing businesses to customize their returns solutions to meet their own budget as well as their customers’ needs. Add the convenience of over 32,000 retail drop-off locations and the option of using free Package Pickup at www.usps.com/pickup, and you’ll see Merchandise Return Service is a great solution for growing businesses.
“Our daily presence at every household and business allows customers and merchants to leverage the most convenient entry options in the market for return packages,” says Jim Cochrane, Vice President, Ground Shipping. So whether you are a large-volume shipper interested in offering customers a prepaid and hassle-free returns experience or a small business just starting to offer returns options, the Postal Service has the returns solution to meet your business’s needs. With unrivaled reach to every home and business in America, the Postal Service can help your business manage returns, and at the same time improve overall customer satisfaction.
— Product and Business Development,
Ground Shipping, 12-31-09
