Engage In-Store Return Authorization
Reduce returns and delight your best customers.
No matter where your customers shop, Appriss Retail is there to stop fraud and abuse in its tracks. Our omnichannel return authorization solution uses real-time, behavior-based AI models to help safeguard your margins while ensuring your good customers get the smooth, hassle-free experience they deserve.
The challenge
The issue with returns goes beyond just managing the sheer volume—fraud and abuse are growing problems. Every year, retailers are losing more to fraudulent returns and claims, with the impact resulting in a total loss of $685 billion in merchandise in 2024.
To address the challenge of limiting fraudulent returns, many retailers turn to stricter return policies. However, these strategies often create unnecessary friction for legitimate shoppers, making their return experience more difficult and cutting into profits. Shoppers now expect easy returns, especially with the rise of Buy Anywhere/Return Anywhere options. Without the right technology in place, these omnichannel experiences create more opportunities for dishonest returns, making it tougher for retailers to manage and protect their bottom line.
The impact
Over 50% of consumers have decided not to buy from retailers due to return policies. To remain competitive, retailers need solutions that prevent abuse without alienating their best customers.
The solution
With Appriss® Engage In-Store Return Authorization, you get real-time protection that uses data from every channel to make accurate, behavior-based recommendations for returns. Wherever your customers interact with you, we’re there to help protect your transactions from fraud and abuse. Engage does the work for you—so you can focus on serving your customers and growing your business.
Engage In-Store Return Authorization is a module within the Appriss Engage solution that applies AI modules to stop return fraud and abuse in real time based on shopper profiles.
Benefit: An 8 to 12% reduction in return dollars, saving millions while ensuring every customer gets the experience they deserve.
Improve Customer Service for Returns
Engage helps you to relax your in-store return strategy, remove inflexible rules, and build consumer loyalty.
- Treat best consumers as such; use their purchase history and/or loyalty information at your brand to craft customized return privileges for those who deserve it most.
- Offer more lenient and flexible returns to your best customers, while mitigating the risk of fraud and abuse.
- Apply a fair and consistent return process with unbiased decision making. Don’t penalize all customers with a blanket policy because of the misdeeds of 1% of returners.
- Simplify buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS).
Key Features of Engage
- Flexible Return Parameters: Retailers can confidently offer consumer-friendly return policies without increasing exposure to fraud or abuse.
- Behavior-Based Authorization: Engage leverages AI models and statistical models, reviewing individual behaviors to authorize returns, making it highly effective in reducing fraud and abuse.
- Real-Time Recommendations: Engage assesses customer behavior and return history, providing recommendations to approve, deny, or warn during the return process. Warnings are often perceived more positively than denials, helping to preserve customer loyalty.