Zara is eliminating free returns for customers from the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Furniture retailer Agata is setting up more Megaskrytki, and BLIK is boasting sensational results and gaining more popularity than card payments. These are just some of the news that we could hear in the world of eCommerce recently. We invite you to read the latest edition of our eCommerce News - the next one in 2 weeks! It's worth being always up to date, isn't it?
Free returns? Not for Zara customers
It would seem that free returns are one of the biggest perks of shopping online, something that brands operating in the online world will never give up under any circumstances. That is why it came as a surprise when one of the most recognizable fashion brands, Zara, decided to waive the free returns option by introducing small fees in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Belgium.
The company motivates its decision by its desire to highlight more thoughtful purchases. Particularly in the case of the fast fashion industry, consumers very often buy a large number of products at relatively low prices at once and then decide to return them, which does not cost them anything. Instead, it costs the brand, which not only has to return the money, but also pay for the shipping costs. Zara also pays attention to the environmental issues of producing a carbon footprint - returned goods have to go back to the warehouse.
This does not mean, however, that the possibility of return is only payable. No - by introducing the changes, Zara encourages to visit its stationary stores, where you can still return the clothes and accessories that do not fit or do not suit your taste for free. The trick, however, is that the return must be made in the region where the original purchase was made, i.e. in the nearest shopping mall to the delivery address. Zara already claims that it has seen positive effects in this respect - it indicates that customers are willing to make returns in stationary stores.
Will Zara gain or lose by giving up free returns? We will probably find out soon enough - as well as whether the company will make the same decision about returns in Poland. However, since many people complain about the unclear return policy in online stores, according to a survey by Furgonetka which we wrote about in the previous eCommerce News, maybe in some cases it is a good solution - guaranteeing the easiest way to make a return?
For more details on Zara's decision, see this article.
Megaskrytki from AgataMeble - a successful idea
The pilot project in Katowice has ended successfully - Agata Meble is introducing the possibility to collect products ordered in the Internet store in the so-called Megaskrytka also in Kraków, Poznań, Łódź, and Gdańsk. The boxes are located near the brand's showrooms (usually at parking lots of above-standard sizes) and allow for a contact-free collection of various products: furniture (armchairs, beds, chests of drawers, etc.), mattresses, accessories, lighting, and decorations. Such a wide range of items ordered for your home is possible because Megaskrytka has been equipped with as many as 27 boxes, each of which is characterized by different size. What's more, when it is clear that the goods we have selected will not fit into any of the boxes, the computer system automatically blocks the possibility of making an online purchase with delivery to Megaskrytka.
As can be seen on the example, customers are very willing to use the possibility of contactless pickup. Consider whether such a solution is missing in your online store, and in the meantime read more about the solution implemented by Agata Meble.
Payments in online stores - what's the best bet?
Surely you have noticed that in a growing number of online stores (but also in stationary stores) for some time there is a possibility to pay in the fastest possible way (and at the same time very safe), that is by using BLIK code. The latest data show that this solution is very popular - from January to March 2022 we paid with BLIK for goods worth 32.6 billion PLN (with 247 million transactions), an increase of 62% compared to the same period a year earlier. Interestingly, the number of BLIK payments processed not only in eCommerce, but also in stationary stores is increasing, although in the former area the growth is - of course - more visible. The latest data show that more than 62% of transactions in stores are carried out using a one-time code, preferring this solution to traditional payment cards - at the end of 2021 the number of BLIK transactions beat payment by cards (higher by as much as 230%).
As you can see, consumers are increasingly willing to choose the option to pay for goods using BLIK. Maybe it is worth looking into this issue when analyzing the payment options available in your eCommerce?
You can read more about BLIK's results here.
