Why start-at home returns are a must for ecommerce brands
Gabriella Sanchez
·July 1, 2025
The customer journey has evolved, and brands need to be everywhere their customers are interacting – whether that’s SMS, mobile app, social media, website, or in-store.
In fact, 73% of retail customers are omnichannel shoppers, meaning they use more than one channel to engage with the brands they care about. And investing in building connections with these customers across multiple brand touchpoints can pay off big-time: Omnichannel shoppers deliver a 30% higher ROI than single-channel shoppers.
The omnichannel shopping experience
An omnichannel customer journey often means that shoppers start a purchase through one channel, and complete it through another.
Last year, more than a third of shoppers took advantage of “buy online, pick up in store” (BOPIS) methods, and over 30% used curbside pickup. For shoppers who find an item they want online, but don’t want to wait for long delivery times or pay shipping charges, taking advantage of omnichannel shopping methods provides a more convenient experience.
However, it’s also important to extend omnichannel optionality to the post-purchase experience. When a customer decides to return an item, that means providing them with the flexibility to begin the return at home and bring it into a store for a quick and convenient refund or exchange. This type of transaction is commonly known as BORIS (buy online, return in store).
Building a best-in-class BORIS experience
In the past, most customers shipped back their returned products on the brand’s dime – but times have changed, and customers are adapting to alternative return methods.
With reverse logistics costs on the rise, customers can no longer rely on the majority of brands to offer free return shipping if they decide against a purchase. Of Loop’s merchants, over 63% now charge return fees for mailed items, representing a 47% increase since the start of 2020.
Instead, many brands are embracing BORIS methods, which can involve either returning items to their own stores or to a designated drop-off location. When doing so, it’s important for your brand to build a premium start-at-home returns experience that ensures a streamlined experience at every touchpoint.
Here’s how to do it:
Enable shoppers to initiate their return online
Using Loop, your brand can provide shoppers with a self-service returns portal that facilitates a seamless returns experience, whether they choose to return products by mail or in-store. Shoppers can choose from their available purchases and answer questions about the item condition to ensure that they have the green light to return the desired item, eliminating any awkwardness at the Customer Service counter.
When shoppers bring offline returns into your store, they won’t need to rebox the item or pay a return shipping fee, facilitating a streamlined and convenient returns experience.
Encourage customers to explore their exchange options
If a shopper wants to bring back an item because it wasn’t the right style or didn’t fit properly, encourage them to find the perfect replacement.
With Loop, shoppers can browse available inventory at their closest store to discover an alternative product they’ll love, and have it ready and waiting for them at the store. Or, by opting for store credit, they can take the opportunity to browse the shelves when they arrive, and try on multiple items in your fitting room before making a final decision about what to buy instead.
By encouraging shoppers to use your Instant Exchange or Shop Now & Later tools, you’ll be able to retain revenue from your returns, and increase customer loyalty among shoppers who may have otherwise opted for a refund.
Create customized Workflows to ensure efficient returns management
By building dedicated Workflows in Loop for different types of products, you can give your store associates the tools and information they need to help them efficiently enforce your returns policies and conditions, and streamline warranty claims for faulty or damaged products.
For instance, if a shopper is returning a pair of sneakers, the associate can review the Workflow on Loop to confirm that the laces that came with the sneakers are included in the box. By building detailed inspection processes, you’ll be able to detect and eliminate costly returns fraud.
Stop asking store associates to fly blind when a customer comes in with an unwanted item. With Workflows, you’ll be able to provide your store representatives with protocols that ensure they’re getting everything they need from the customer to process the return, so that you can get items back on the shelves and recover lost revenue quickly.
By giving shoppers the flexibility to choose between mail in and start-at-home (BORIS) returns, you can curate a returns experience that fits each shopper’s unique needs and preferences. Whichever option they prefer, Loop’s tools can help you drive efficiency through automation, saving money on operations and improving revenue retention – all while delivering a top-tier omnichannel customer experience.
Ready to learn more? Book a demo of Loop.
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With Loop, your brand can offer everything from refunds to direct exchanges to shopper incentives and more. Even better? These exchanges build your business.