How Filling Pieces reduced the number of returns by 21% in 2 months

Filling Pieces is a Dutch clothing brand founded in 2009 by Guillaume Philibert. Based in Amsterdam, the company offers fashion that blends luxury and streetwear, with the motto "Bridging the Gap." Since their inception, they have built a strong presence in the fashion world and are worn by people all over the globe.

‍

Filling Pieces has a flagship store in Amsterdam where customers can view and purchase their products. In addition, the clothing is also available at more than 200 retailers worldwide, including Bijenkorf, Selfridges, and Kith.

Overweg, 31, lives in Amsterdam and has been working in eCommerce for the fashion industry for 8 years. Jeroen: “If I had to summarize what I stand for, it would be diversity, design, and quality.”

‍

We asked him about his vision on the current state of the market and what he notices in his daily work at Filling Pieces. 

‍

Overweg: “First of all, we see that consumer confidence is currently very low. General uncertainty about the economy has a huge impact on purchasing behavior. Price-quality ratios are being scrutinized more and more. In general, we notice that the consumer is simply becoming less adventurous.”

‍

Overweg also notes that margins are under pressure because wages and other costs have risen sharply. In almost all markets, price levels do not always seem to be able to keep up with these rising costs.

‍

Add to that the current sky-high acquisition costs, and it becomes clear that online stores need to adjust their strategies. “There is a clear shift from a focus on acquisition to a focus on retention. Providing good service and stimulating customer loyalty play a major role in this.”

What does this mean for returns? Jeroen Overweg identifies several opportunities to counter the effects of the changing market. 

Overweg: “The increased focus on retention also means a greater focus on offering exchanges during the return process. Make sure you provide the right offer to your customer at the right time. Respond to customer needs with personalized recommendations and exchanges.”

‍

‍

With margins under such pressure, lower return rates can offer a solution. The lower the rates, the more margins increase. “We need to fully understand why customers return items, and act accordingly. This allows us to convert returns into exchanges. Ultimately, this also helps to strengthen our position against our competitors.” 

‍

Regarding low consumer confidence and consumers becoming increasingly critical, Overweg's solution is simple: “Make sure you surprise consumers with excellent service!” 

‍

Before Filling Pieces started using Returnista's return software, the return process was not yet automated. Overweg: “We didn't previously offer automatic exchanges, although they could be done manually. Furthermore, we didn't have an online solution for the return process.” 

‍

The objectives for implementing Returnista were clear. “We wanted to lower our return rate through an easy, fast, and scalable return experience. We also wanted to make our business more sustainable and retain more revenue.”

‍

The results speak for themselves. Following the implementation of the returns platform from Returnista, Filling Pieces saw a reduction in the number of returns of as much as 21%. In addition, approximately 20% more revenue was retained per month. An added benefit: the number of customer inquiries was also reduced by 10%. 

‍

Jeroen Overweg is also optimistic about the future collaboration between Returnista and Filling Pieces: “Over the next 3 months, we want to increase exchanges from 20% to 40%. A key factor here is having clear insight into stock levels. We are going to use the exchange service as a real USP, and we also want to start working with store credit.”

‍

The return rate also needs to be tackled further. Overweg: “We want to lower the return rate by another 10%. One aspect we are going to work on is educating the customer during the sales process. For example, we will use insights from the returns process to optimize product detail pages (PDPs). That way, we can easily drive that return rate down.”