Cut Marketplace Returns This Holiday
You already know January brings a wave of holiday returns. Every return erodes margin, and on leading marketplaces it can also hurt a seller’s standing. Walmart Marketplace, for example, expects sellers to keep their Refund Rate below 6%.
Walmart’s review of the past year traced most returns to three causes: damaged or wrong items, inaccurate listings, and late deliveries. Those causes apply to any marketplace.
Use this checklist before the peak, then lean on your marketplace’s tools for the returns you can’t avoid.
Ship the right item, intact
- Confirm every part and accessory is in the box before it ships.
- Inspect for manufacturer defects and verify the quality matches what the listing promises.
- Match packaging to each product’s type and weight. Fragile and heavy items need more protection.
- Audit product identifiers so each maps to the correct listing. On Walmart, a UPC tied to the wrong product can send the wrong item to every buyer.
Ensure listings match reality
- Compare product photos with the item customers will actually receive, including color, size, and included parts.
- Rewrite titles, descriptions, and key features that overpromise or leave out details.
- Add images that show scale, contents, and alternate angles.
- Study your marketplace’s returns data. Walmart’s Return Insights guide shows why items come back, what returns cost, and which products cause the most trouble. Fix those listings first.
Deliver when promised
A gift that arrives after the holiday often comes back.
- Set lag time, shipping method, carrier, and service level to meet the delivery date shoppers see.
- Walmart calls it the Expected Delivery Date.
- Forecast holiday demand and stock inventory to match.
- Schedule enough staff for peak order volume.
Use marketplace tools
Processing returns in-house is difficult, especially for bulky items or for sellers without a U.S. returns center. Leading marketplaces offer outsourced fulfillment, managed returns, and refund rules to help.
- Outsource fulfillment and returns. Walmart Fulfillment Services picks, packs, and ships orders, then handles returns.
- Hand off returns only. Returns with Walmart lets you fulfill orders yourself while Walmart processes returns.
- Promote convenient drop-off. Under both Walmart programs, customers can return items by mail or at any Walmart store. About 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one.
- Offer replacements before refunds. Walmart’s replacement rules keep the sale and the customer.
- Set returnless refund rules. Refund without a return when shipping back costs more than it’s worth. Walmart’s Keep It and Partial Keep It provide a framework.
About Walmart Marketplace
Walmart Marketplace enables ecommerce merchants to boost growth with full control over inventory, pricing, fulfillment, and customer care. With competitive referral fees, no setup or monthly charges, and access to millions of shoppers, the platform offers a straightforward path to ecommerce expansion. Sign up to unlock up to $75,000 in New-Seller Savings at Marketplace.Walmart.com.
