With returns among the top logistical and customer service problems for e-commerce merchants, a company that specializes in solving that problem is seeing a growth spurt.
Happy Returns, a technology, service and logistics provider for online retailers, has opened the 100th Return Bar location in its nationwide network. The company’s mission has been to solve what’s noted as the No. 1 pain point of e-commerce: returns.
To ease the process of sending unwanted items back, Happy Returns provides an integrated system of technology, service, and logistics that gives shoppers a seamless returns experience and offers retailers a low-cost, efficient service.
The recently opened Return Bar at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, is the third Westfield mall in Los Angeles and the eighth Westfield property across the country to offer the Happy Returns service. To complete a return through the service, shoppers bring items from participating retailers like Everlane, Eloquii, UNTUCKit and Carbon38 to the concierge desk of participating Westfield properties, with no boxes or receipts required. The Westfield concierge team uses the Happy Returns system to accept the return and initiate a refund on behalf of the customer.
The Happy Returns network, staffed by Returnista return specialists, is set to grow to 220 locations in 2018 from 50 at the start of the year. In addition to its relationship with mall operator Westfield, Happy Returns partners with other top mall properties, as well as regional and national chain stores and independent boutiques. Location partners receive the benefit of bringing foot traffic into these retail locations.
“This is yet another example how Westfield is placing a premium on best-in-class customer service in order to make our guests’ physical and digital shopping experiences seamless, frictionless and hassle-free,” Jeff Adams, vice president of customer service at Westfield, said.
Happy Returns recently reported that location partners in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are converting 25 percent to 50 percent of first-time returners into shoppers during the same visit. The 100 Return Bar locations span 18 metro areas in the U.S, including 14 of the largest 15 cities by population.
“Our rapid growth and expanding set of location partners demonstrates the utility of our service for all stakeholders in the return transaction,” David Sobie, co-founder and CEO of Happy Returns, said.