When you sell through retailers, a slow return flow doesn’t just affect operations – it affects relationships.
Returns from retailers are part of the everyday for omnichannel brands. But many return flows haven’t kept up with how business is actually done today.
Products come back without any pre-notification. Multiple orders get mixed in one box. Credit notes depend on manual matching. It works – but it’s slow. And over time, that slowness adds up: in hours, in cost, and in friction with your retail partners.
Here are three common return blockers – and how you can remove them.
Retailers send items back, but the warehouse can’t identify what’s in the box or which order it belongs to. That means someone has to stop, ask around, and wait for a reply.
“There’s a box from Finland at the dock. No paperwork, no pre-registration. What do we do with it?”
Why it matters:
How to fix it:
Make it easy for retailers to register returns before they ship. When the warehouse knows what’s on the way – and which order it’s linked to – they can handle it right away.
Retailers often combine products from several purchase orders into one return. Without clear documentation, someone has to manually match items to orders, line by line.
Why it matters:
How to fix it:
Allow mixed returns – but make sure each item is digitally tied to the correct order. That gives your team the context they need, even if everything arrives in one box.
Even when the return is received and approved, someone has to manually trigger the credit in the ERP. That last mile often takes longer than it should.
Why it matters:
How to fix it:
When returns are digital, approved and linked to order data – credit notes can be triggered automatically. That removes a step, speeds up the loop, and reduces risk of error.
Retailers expect returns to be as smooth as the order process. But when return handling is slow or unclear, it affects trust and your ability to move fast on the next order.
Fixing these return flows doesn’t require a full rebuild. But it does take the right structure. One that’s built for how resellers actually work.
Want to see what that could look like in your setup?
We’ll show you how other brands have streamlined reseller returns and what kind of impact it’s had on lead times, cash flow, and partner relationships.
Or just reach out – we’re always up for a short call!
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