Dressbarn Teams With Happy Returns For Reverse Logistics

To help provide label-free and box-free returns at hundreds of locations, Dressbarn has teamed with Happy Returns. The software and reverse logistics provider fuels the returns portal of the retailer’s website, enabling its customers to make purchases online and then bring back items in-person to a collection of “Return Bars,” according to a Tuesday (Sept. 15) announcement.

“Having enjoyed our physical stores for decades, our shoppers are accustomed to the convenience of in-person returns,” Dressbarn CEO Shayan Zadeh said in the announcement. “To meet these customer expectations while also growing our online presence, Happy Returns’ network provides Dressbarn shoppers with the accessibility of a physical drop-off location while still maintaining a contactless experience.”

Dressbarn customers get a quick-response (QR) code to allow for contactless returns without labels or boxes, with instantaneous reimbursement or exchange. More than three-quarters of Dressbarn customers have chosen to drop off returns in person instead of sending them through USPS in the first 30 days as of the rollout, according to the announcement, which noted that customer response to the new return experience has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

Happy Returns started to reopen its Return Bar network in May, and currently has more than 500 drop-off locations in 150 metropolitan areas throughout the country, according to the announcement.

Dressbarn, which launched in 1962, provides a collection of women’s apparel, footwear and accessories. Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV) bought Dressbarn;s IP late last year.

According to pre-crisis figures, Global WebIndex found that 56 percent of all clothing and footwear is returned, while electronics comes in second place at 48 percent. On average, one-quarter of all online shopping purchases are returned, while 30 percent of shoppers over-purchase on purpose and then send back unwanted merchandise. In the event that a merchant charges too much (or charges at all), 57 percent of millennials will bail on shopping in the future.