Modern Retail Podcast

Hosted ByCale Weissman & Gabi Barkho

The Modern Retail Podcast is a podcast about the retail space, from legacy companies to the buzzy world of DTC startups. Every Thursday, Cale Weissman, editor of Modern Retail, interviews executives about their growth and marketing strategies. And every Saturday Gabi Barkho, senior reporter, sits down with the Modern Retail staff to chat about the latest headlines in the retail world.

The Modern Retail Podcast | The high cost of free returns

Modern Retail Podcast
Modern Retail Podcast
The Modern Retail Podcast | The high cost of free returns
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On this week’s episode, special projects editor Melissa Daniels takes a deep dive into how brands are shaking up their returns playbook. As many as 72% of brands are charging for returns these days, according to the National Retail Federation, but that’s a major customer pain point. In turn, it’s an area of business that brands are constantly evaluating to make sure their return policies make logistical and financial sense while still providing a good customer experience.

Daniels speaks with Samantha Gold, founder of sleepwear brand Motette, and Arin Schultz, chief growth officer at mattress brand Naturepedic, about the changes they’re making to their return policies to make them more customer-friendly without taking a hit on the costs associated with processing returns. They get into:

The invisible costs of free returns, like shipping rates and warehouse restocking fees

Why Motette is planning to roll out free returns following a customer poll

The ways Naturepedic got its return rate to less than half of the industry average