Returns are one of the more expensive and operationally complex parts of running an omnichannel retail business, and a poorly designed returns process — one that ignores how differently customers behave when a return option like in-store drop-off exists — can quietly damage both margin and customer loyalty at the same time.
Why omnichannel returns need dedicated design, not a bolt-on policy
A customer who bought online reasonably expects flexibility in how they return an item, and buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS) meets a genuine preference for many customers — avoiding return postage cost or hassle, and getting a faster refund or exchange than posting an item back and waiting for it to be received and processed centrally. Retailers offering BORIS without designing the underlying process properly often create new problems: shop staff untrained on how to process an online return through their till system, unclear stock routing for returned items, and inconsistent refund timing between online and in-store returns confusing customers.
Setting up BORIS operationally
A working BORIS process requires shop staff equipped and trained to look up online orders and process a matching return or exchange through the till system, clear rules on what can and can't be accepted for in-store return (particularly relevant for large or bulky items originally shipped directly to the customer's home), and a defined process for what happens to the returned stock — restocked at that location, routed back to a central warehouse, or written off if damaged — since an ad hoc, undefined process here quietly creates stock discrepancies that undermine the inventory synchronisation work covered elsewhere on this hub.
- Equip and train shop staff to process online-order returns and exchanges through the till system confidently.
- Set clear, published rules on which online purchases are eligible for in-store return, particularly for large or bulky items.
- Define exactly what happens to returned stock at the point of in-store return, rather than leaving it to ad hoc staff judgement.
- Keep refund timing consistent (or clearly and transparently explained where it genuinely differs) between online and in-store returns.
UK consumer rights and returns obligations
Under the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations, customers buying online have a statutory 14-day cooling-off period to cancel most purchases, plus a further 14 days to actually return the goods once cancellation is confirmed, and while BORIS is a service enhancement beyond this statutory minimum, retailers must ensure whichever return route a customer chooses (post or in-store) doesn't inadvertently make it harder to exercise these statutory rights within the required timeframe.
Managing the cost of returns without damaging the customer experience
Returns carry a real cost — processing labour, restocking or write-off, and lost sale margin on the original order — and while a generous, flexible returns policy including BORIS supports conversion and loyalty (customers are demonstrably more likely to purchase, particularly for sizing-uncertain categories like clothing, when a straightforward return option is clearly offered), that generosity should be balanced against genuine cost data on return rates and reasons by product category, rather than applying an identical, potentially unsustainable policy uniformly across a diverse catalogue.
Using returns data to reduce future returns
Systematically capturing and reviewing why customers return items (wrong size, not as described, changed mind, damaged in transit) surfaces patterns worth acting on directly — a product category with an unusually high 'not as described' return rate often points to an inadequate product page description or misleading imagery, a fixable root cause rather than simply an ongoing cost to absorb.
Turning a well-run returns process into a loyalty advantage
A fast, clear, genuinely hassle-free returns experience — including a well-run BORIS option — is increasingly a competitive differentiator in UK retail rather than simply a cost centre to minimise, since customers who have a straightforward return experience (even when they do end up returning an item) are more likely to purchase from the same retailer again than customers who found the process confusing or difficult, making returns process quality a genuine retention lever worth active investment.
Putting This Into Practice
As with most things covered in Marketplace Selling & Omnichannel Strategy, managing omnichannel returns and buy-Online-Return-In-Store (BORIS) works best when it's revisited periodically rather than decided once and forgotten. If you haven't already, Amazon SEO: Keyword Optimisation, A+ Content and Winning the Buy Box is a useful companion read on this exact point.
Whichever channel you're building out under Omnichannel & Click-and-Collect, the same principle applies: each new marketplace or channel adds real operational overhead — separate listings, separate customer service expectations, separate inventory logic — that's easy to underestimate when you're focused purely on the reach it offers. It's worth mapping out that ongoing overhead honestly before committing, not just the upside of the extra exposure.
For related reading: Our companion guide, Navigating the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations and Statutory Return Windows, goes into this in more depth. We cover this in more detail in Reducing Failed Deliveries and Returns Costs for UK Online Retailers, which is worth reading alongside this piece.