{"id":41757,"date":"2021-02-05T12:46:53","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T11:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/?p=41757"},"modified":"2021-02-05T12:46:53","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T11:46:53","slug":"retourflut-artificial-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/retourenflut-kuenstliche-intelligenz\/","title":{"rendered":"Artificial intelligence against a flood of returns"},"content":{"rendered":"

On average, 950 items are returned to online retailers every minute in Germany. The use of AI and smart algorithms could stem the flood of returns and thus increase sustainability in online retail.<\/p>\n

The global management consultancy Kearney<\/a> has investigated which technical innovations could be used to reduce the flood of returns. According to a study by the University of Bamberg around 500 million returns in Germany in 2019<\/strong> were recorded - that's an average of 950 items returned per minute in Germany alone.<\/p>\n

This is due in particular to the so-called Bracketing<\/em><\/strong> The shopper always orders several versions of an item and returns unsuitable sizes or colours. This trend now affects 56 per cent of all online purchases worldwide. This consumer behaviour is a major problem for retailers and their logistics partners.<\/p>

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In the best case returns cause additional transport, packaging and product preparation<\/strong>, In the worst case, they lead to the destruction of new goods. However, consumers also find themselves in a dilemma: they clearly value sustainability, but at the same time do not want to do without the benefits of e-commerce.<\/p>\n

\u201eTo be successful in the long term, online retailers need to become more sustainable and address the issue of returns in particular, in addition to carbon-neutral distribution. Smart returns management with the right partners has the potential to improve the customer experience, profitability and competitiveness compared to the online giants and to improve the ecological footprint, especially by avoiding and quickly remarketing returns without long intermediate transports.\u201c Dr Sven Rutkowsky<\/strong>, logistics expert and partner at Kearney Germany<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Algorithms calculate customer needs<\/h2>\n

With With the help of intelligent algorithms (predictive analytics)<\/strong> retailers are trying to counter the flood of returns by catering more closely to the individual needs of their \u201eproblem\u201c customers. For example, if a consumer has frequently returned trousers from a particular brand due to the fit, the order of search results can be customised for this customer in the online shop. This means that trousers from this brand are no longer suggested first for the customer, thereby reducing the returns rate.<\/p>