2014 Benchmarking Trend Report Table of Contents 2014 Benchmarking Trend Report Introduction .................... 2 The team behind Worldwide Business Research’s (WBR) Consumer Returns conference – with Research Findings ............ 3 help from an advisory board of senior-level executives from international companies – created a About Consumer benchmarking questionairre that was distributed at the Consumer Returns conference to an audience Returns ......................... 12 of reverse logistics, supply chain and returns management professionals. Over 50 industry leaders from national and multinational corporations answered the survey, speaking to the state of their firms’ returns reduction strategy, optimization of their reverse supply chain, and outlook for 2014. The goal of the survey was to understand where companies are in their reverse logistics transformation process, whether they’re on track to completing their transformation according to their plans and what new strategies they plan to implement in 2014. Results to this study allow companies to see where they stand in relation to their peers on transformation, staffing needs and organizational structure. The roles of those answering the questionnaire ranged from Director of Returns to Senior Manager, Services & After Sales to Director of Asset Recovery, to name a few. Respondents represented companies like BJ’s Wholesale Club, Dell, The Home Depot, Verizon Wireless and more. See how your firm compares to your peers and competitors by viewing the results and analysis throughout this report. Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 2 Research Findings On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your level of awareness about the importance of 1A reverse logistics at your institutions. (1=unaware, 10=very aware) 45% of respondents reported to view 30% reverse logistic at 20% their companies' as 14% 12% 12% important to very 5% 5% important. 0% 2% 0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 UNAWARE VERY AWARE 1B How much attention is reverse logistics given on a scale of 1 to 10? 21% of participants 21% ranked their attention 17% 17% in reverse logistics 14% 14% 8% at 10. 5% 2% 0% 2% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 POOR EXCELLENT Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 3 2A Do you feel that return rates have increased or decreased in the last 48% of respondents 12 months? saw a decrease in return rates over the last 12 months. Increased 33% No Change 17% Depends 2% DECREASED 48% 2a 10 20 30 40 50 2a 10 20 30 40 50 Is there a particular product class with a change in return rates? 53% of participants 2B What did you attribute this change in return rates to? said cellphones had 2b a change in return2b rates. 53% Cell Phones 29% Television 18% Other Product Class Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 4 31020304050 31020304050 4 4 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5b 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5b 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2a 10 20 30 40 50 2b 2a 10 20 30 40 50 2b 3 Are you seeing an increase or decrease in NTF/NFF (no trouble found/ 48% of participants no fault found) returns? did not see a change in NTF/NFF returns. Increased 28% NO CHANGE 48% Not Sure 3% Decreased 21% 31020304050 31020304050 Does your company focus more or less on the consumer experience than it 73% of participants 4 did 12 months ago? said company focus on consumer4 4 experience increased ove the last 12 73% Increased months. 18% Same 9% Decreased Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 5 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5b 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5b 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2a 10 20 30 40 50 2b 2a 10 20 30 40 50 2b 2a 10 20 30 40 50 31020304050 2b 4 31020304050 4 31020304050 70% of companies 5a Does your company have a corporate strategy around returns? currently have a corporate strategy in 4 YES 70% place around returns. In Process 13% No 17% 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5bDoes your company have published policies around returns? 79% of companies 5b have published 5b policies in place 79% Yes around returns. In Process 14% 5a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Not Applicable 5% 5b 2% No 75% said that Do your practices align with your policies? current practicies fully 5c 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 align with company policies. YES 75% Not Fully 6% No 19% 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 5c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 6 25% of respondents 6a Who in your company owns returns? said that the 25% operations department owns returns. 17% 17% 13% 8% 8% 6% 6% Quality Supply Reverse Diffuse Sales Service C-Suite Operations Assurance Chain Logistics Level Groups 48% of respondents How closely do you work with the following functions? reported to working 1206b very close with the customer service 100 5% N/A 7% 10% departments at their 17% 10% 10% organizations. 7% 5% 80 Very 26% Close 26% 24% 26% 60 29% 38% Close 48% 40 14% 31% 40% 43% Somewhat 12% 29% Close 20 10% 40% 17% 33% 7% 14% Not Close 10% 17% 38% 10% 10% 24% 7% 6b Sales Finance Merchandise Customer Warehousing Transportation Quality Operations Service Assurance Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 7 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 7b 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 01020304050607080 8c 9102030405060 10 120 100 80 60 40 20 6b 120 100 80 60 40 20 120 6b 100 Are you using social CRM (Customer relationship management) to engage with 80% of respondents 7a80 your customers? are currently using a 60 scoial CRM system 40 to engage with their YES 20 80% customers. 6b 7a 10 20 30 40 50No 60 70 80 20% 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 43% of participants If so, which social channels are most effective for you? 7b 7b said Facebook is the 7b most effective social 43% Facebook 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 channel for their company. 35% Twitter 5% LinkedIn 7b 5% YouTube 12% Other 66% of participants said that their customer 7c Does your customer service center integrate social CRM/social capabilities? service center inegrates social CRM with social 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 capabilities. YES 66% Not Sure 5% No 29% 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 8 01020304050607080 8c 01020304050607080 8c 01020304050607080 8c 9102030405060 10 9102030405060 10 9102030405060 10 120 100 80 60 40 20 6b 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 7b 20% cannibalization. respondents estimated marketplace, sales inthesecondary cannibalizing new feel theyare respondents who Of the14%of marketplace. sales inthesecondary are cannibalizingnew do notfeelthatthey 79% of participants 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 8a 79% NO new sales? When yougotosecondary market,doyoufeelthatyou’recannibalizing 7% N/A Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results Benchmarking 2013 Returns Consumer 14% YES 01020304050607088b 0 new sales?Ifso,towhatextent? do youfeelthatyou’recannibalizing When yougotothesecondary market, 8c CANNIBALI E stimated @ 20% Z ation 9 9102030405060 10 120 100 80 60 40 20 6b 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 7b 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 01020304050607080 How do you determine appropriate pricing for the secondary market? 8c 8c 40% Market Research Bid process based on lot product faculty 27% 21% Market Demand 12% Other 40% of participants said they determine appropriate pricing for the secondary How are you working with new sales? market through Market 8d Research. Working closely We limit Look at new our sales to with engineering, sales and factory marketing, sales strengthen renewed sales the brand during new product together, creating development independent process channels Part of the Close interaction planning to understand process and whole product as forecasting NEW SALES sold and moved Monitoring via Via finance customer service, strategies controllers to RA Dept. and 9102030405INCL06UDE0 align costs reports from sales team 10 Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 10 120 100 80 60 40 20 6b 120 100 80 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 6070 80 40 20 6b 7b 7a 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 7b 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 7c 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 01020304050607080 8c 01020304050607080 8c 53% said returns 9 Where does returns management start for you? management starts at Product Design. Pre-Production 16% PRODUCT DESIGN 53% Customer Service Desk 29% Other 2% 9102030405060 9102030405060 What are key measures you use in monitoring the performance of 32% of participants 10 reverse10 logistics? said Rate of Return is the key10 measure 32% Rate of Return they use in monitoring the performance of 20% Percentage of Sales reverse logistics. 11% Repair Cost per Unit Returned 7% NTF/ Average Cost for Replacement 7% Defect Verified Rates, NTF rates 7% Gross United Returned 16% Other Consumer Returns 2013 Benchmarking Results 11 Be a Part of Next About Consumer Returns Year’s Study Consumer Returns is the premier event for reverse logistics and returns management professionals who are looking to trim costs through return reduction strategies and optimization of the reverse supply chain.