If you’re considering expanding your reach to include German shoppers, you’ve probably already done a lot of research into your market to determine whether your product will be well received there. Great news for you if it is – e-commerce is booming in Germany with over a fifth of shoppers purchasing goods online several times a month.
One thing you may need to consider before you take the leap, however, is what you are going to do if your customers want to return their items. Evidence suggests that German shoppers are as savvy about returning their goods as they are about buying them, and you will want to be prepared.
Should I offer a returns service to my German customers?
Research tells us yes. According to a survey commissioned by the German digital association, Bitkom, only 24% of Germans never return an online order. In total, 1,050 of German shoppers aged 16 and over were asked about their shopping habits and the survey showed that the younger generations return items more often than the older ones, citing reasons such as incorrect sizing or damage behind their return.
Additionally, the survey showed that people between the ages of 16 and 29 return an average of 15% of all their online orders. Only a slightly lower amount of 13% of orders were returned by 30–49-year-olds in contrast to only 7% amongst 65 years olds and over.
What do I need to know about returning goods from Germany back to the UK?
Think about your demographic. If you are targeting a younger audience, you will want to provide them with the type of shopping experience that they are already familiar with. However, even if you cater to an older audience, chances are that in future years your target audience will become more au fait with the mechanisms of easy returns and expect you to operate in the same way.
The upshot, it seems, is that German customers will expect some kind of returns system in place from their online retailers. On the whole Germans don’t mind shopping abroad for the right product, however, they may take issue with poor customer service, especially if returning their product is difficult or not an option. With so much competition out there, why should they expect anything less?
How do I return a parcel from the EU back to the UK and who pays the import duty?
If setting up a returns process sounds like just one more thing to worry about, you’ll be happy to know that you can establish a returns service that is fully managed by a third party. SAMOS provides a returns portal that seamlessly integrates with your website and shopping platforms and handles everything including import duties.
You’ll also be pleased to know that SAMOS Returns comes with the same accessible and friendly support that SAMOS deliveries have become renowned for. So, you can rest assured that you’ll find someone to talk to if something goes awry or you need to iron out teething issues quickly.
How much does it cost to return packages from Germany to the UK? Can it be done cheaply?
If the cost of returns has made you wince in the past, you wouldn’t be the first. Returns can be expensive, especially if you’ve used one of the large shipping companies who have up till now dominated the market.
SAMOS does things differently, and like our unique delivery service, we’re keeping costs down and fully transparent. For example, you can return an item from Germany to the UK that weighs under one kilo for as little as £10.89. We think you’ll be hard pushed to match that with the same levels of service that SAMOS offers.
So, if you are shipping to Germany or considering it, we seriously recommend considering a returns strategy too. Our advice? Keep it simple – easy to manage at your end and straightforward for your customers to navigate in Germany. The easier it is, the more likely you’ll see repeat business from your customer and through word of mouth.
