The afternoon pick-pack is finished when three parcels come back through the rear door: one unopened, one crushed at the corner, one returned because the customer ordered the wrong size. If those boxes sit on the floor until Friday, your stock file is already lying to you.
Returns need space, timing and clear ownership. Set those arrangements while summer stock levels are being planned, so the back door is as organised as the dispatch bench.
Sort the decision at first touch
Start with a simple triage at first touch. Decide which conditions matter to you: sealed and saleable, opened but saleable, repair assessment, supplier claim, write-off. Fewer codes are easier to use; extra detail improves reporting. Pick the level your team will apply consistently at 4.30pm on a busy Wednesday, not the level that looks elegant in a spreadsheet.
The next trade-off is speed against labour. Immediate checks keep inventory accurate and shorten customer updates, but they pull someone off despatch. A fixed daily returns window protects picking time, though it leaves stock unavailable for longer. Small operators often do best with a narrow same-day rule for obvious cases and a scheduled review for the rest.
Keep stock true to the shelf
Returned units should not drift into general stock until their status is clear. Give them a separate location in your system and on the shelf, even if that location is one marked trolley. This avoids the common mess where an item appears available online, gets picked, then turns out to be sitting half-inspected behind the counter.
Customer communication belongs in the stock plan because it affects handling choices. If you can confirm receipt quickly, you reduce duplicate emails and phone calls. If assessment takes longer, say when the next update will be sent and who owns it internally. That discipline stops returns becoming an orphan task passed between sales, warehouse and accounts.
Suppose a seasonal line has a short selling window left before summer ranges change. In that case, the cost of a careful repack may be justified for a high-margin unit, while a lower-value item may move faster through clearance or supplier return. The right answer turns on time, margin, shelf space and the reliability of your condition check.
Owners do not need a grand reverse-logistics project to improve this. They need a few decisions written down: where returns land, who inspects them, how stock status changes, when customers hear from you, and which weekly number deserves attention. Usually that number is units awaiting decision, because it ties up cash, space and staff time.
