How to Reduce Ecommerce Returns

Understanding the Ecommerce Returns Challenge

In today's digital marketplace, ecommerce businesses face a significant challenge: product returns. Industry data shows that approximately one-third of all online purchases are returned to sellers—a rate significantly higher than brick-and-mortar retail. For Walmart Marketplace sellers and other ecommerce merchants, this represents a substantial operational and financial burden.

Understanding your product category's average return rate is crucial. While the overall ecommerce return rate hovers around 30%, specific categories vary dramatically:

• Clothing and fashion: 40-50%
• Electronics: 20-25%
• Home goods: 15-20%
• Beauty products: 10-15%

Key takeaway: Track your returns by product category to identify specific problem areas and prioritize improvement efforts.

Why Customers Return Products: The Root Causes

Research consistently shows that the primary reasons for ecommerce returns are:

1. Product didn't meet expectations (65% of returns)
2. Wrong size or fit (30% of returns)
3. Damaged items (5% of returns)

Walmart Marketplace prioritizes customer satisfaction above all, which can sometimes frustrate sellers who feel they have limited control over the return process. However, by implementing strategic approaches to address these core issues, you can significantly reduce your return rate while improving customer satisfaction.

Proven Strategies to Reduce Ecommerce Returns

1. Create Detailed and Accurate Product Descriptions

The more information you provide about your products, the better equipped customers are to make informed purchasing decisions. Detailed descriptions help set accurate expectations and reduce "expectation gap" returns.

Best practices for product descriptions:

• Include precise measurements and dimensions
• Specify materials, weight, and care instructions
• Address common customer questions proactively
• Use bullet points for easy scanning
• Include comparison information ("runs large/small")
• Update descriptions based on customer feedback and return reasons

For clothing items specifically, provide detailed sizing charts that include:

• Measurements for each size (chest, waist, inseam, etc.)
• Information about the model's size and measurements
• Fit descriptions (slim, regular, loose)
• Recommendations for between-size customers

Consider encouraging previous buyers to share fit information in reviews, creating a valuable resource for future customers.

2. Invest in High-Quality Product Photography

Poor product images are a leading cause of returns. When customers can't clearly see what they're buying, disappointment is inevitable.

Product photography best practices:

• Use high-resolution images (minimum 1000×1000 pixels)
• Show products from multiple angles (8+ images is optimal)
• Include close-ups of important details and features
• Demonstrate the product in use (lifestyle images)
• Display all available color options accurately
• Use consistent lighting to show true colors
• Include scale references when size might be unclear
• Consider 360-degree views for complex products
• Add videos demonstrating product use when applicable

Remember: While Walmart requires white background primary images, your additional photos can and should showcase the product in context, helping customers visualize how it will fit into their lives.

3. Implement Strategic Customer Communication

Proactive communication throughout the customer journey can significantly reduce returns while improving satisfaction. Automated email sequences are particularly effective for Walmart Marketplace sellers.

The ideal post-purchase email sequence includes:

1. Order confirmation email (immediate)

• Thank the customer
• Provide order details and estimated delivery
• Include your customer service contact information
• Set expectations about the product
• Offer immediate assistance for order changes

2. Shipping confirmation email (when shipped)

• Provide tracking information
• Include delivery time expectations
• Reinforce that you (not Walmart) are their direct contact
• Add care or setup instructions when applicable

3. Delivery confirmation email (24 hours after delivery)

• Confirm the package arrived
• Include setup/assembly tips or links to resources
• Offer assistance with any questions
• Remind them of your direct customer service channel

4. Follow-up email (7-10 days after delivery)

• Ask for feedback about their experience
• Request a product review on Walmart
• Provide your return process information
• Offer solutions for any concerns before they resort to returns

Each email should direct customers to contact your customer service team—not Walmart's—for returns and exchanges. This gives you greater control over the process and provides valuable insights into why customers are returning products.

Implementing an Effective Returns Management System

Beyond prevention, having an efficient returns process is crucial. Consider these elements:

1. Clear return policy: Make your policy easy to find and understand
2. Extended return windows: Counterintuitively, longer return periods often reduce return rates by eliminating urgency
3. Return analytics: Track reasons for returns by SKU to identify problematic products
4. Return alternatives: Offer partial refunds for keeping items with minor issues
5. Quality control: Use return data to improve product sourcing and manufacturing

The Role of Technology in Reducing Ecommerce Returns

The right technology platform can transform your returns management process. Sellegr8.com provides Walmart Marketplace sellers with comprehensive tools to:

• Create and automate customer email sequences
• Track returns by product, category, and reason
• Identify problematic SKUs with higher-than-average return rates
• Design professional email templates that reinforce your brand
• Analyze customer feedback to improve product listings
• Maintain a consistent communication strategy at scale

Since mid-2020, ecommerce has experienced unprecedented growth, bringing a corresponding increase in online returns. For merchants, returns represent not just lost revenue but also wasted operational time and resources.

Conclusion: A Strategic Approach to Ecommerce Returns

Reducing ecommerce returns requires a multifaceted approach:

1. Set accurate expectations with detailed descriptions and high-quality images
2. Maintain proactive communication throughout the customer journey
3. Analyze return data to identify and address root causes
4. Implement technology solutions to manage the entire process efficiently

While ecommerce returns will always be part of doing business online, implementing these strategies can significantly reduce your return rate while simultaneously improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

For Walmart Marketplace sellers, Sellegr8.com provides the comprehensive tools needed to execute this strategy effectively. Our platform helps you optimize listings, maintain customer communication, track returns, and identify product-specific issues—all critical elements in reducing return rates.

Start your free 14-day Sellegr8 trial today and see how our innovative software can help your Walmart.com business grow while keeping returns under control.