Our starting point is that we naturally want to avoid returns as much as possible. We try to achieve this by providing customers with the best possible view of a product. For example, we continuously investigate how we can make product information more complete, such as by adding size charts, customer reviews, detailed specifications, photos, and videos. This way, you know exactly what is being delivered to your home. Of course, we also have return policies that explain what customers can and cannot return, what the return period is, and how the return process works.

Fortunately, many of the returned items are in perfect new condition, and 70% of the returned shipments are restocked after a thorough assessment. Even products that can no longer be sold as new find a new destination. From return deals and clearance sales to donations to charities such as Voorleesexpress and the Food Bank, to Dutch and Belgian second-hand stores and the local animal shelter in Waalwijk. Over 98% of returned items at bol get a second life. Only when products cannot be used anymore due to safety or hygiene reasons (e.g., intimate items such as sex toys, broken mirrors, or opened food items) are we forced to destroy them. Where possible, the components of these products are recycled as much as possible. For this, we collaborate with trusted recycling partners.

Then: From an archive drawer for returns (1999) to a bol return centre (2021)
When bol started about 25 years ago, the e-commerce sector and its associated return processing were still in their infancy. Returns were occasionally made, but there was no return policy. In fact, in the early days, the ‘returns department’ consisted of a single archive drawer in the office where returned books were stored. As bol grew, so did the need for more space and a different approach to handling returned items. The archive drawer was replaced with a dedicated area for returns in the bol distribution centre. Fast forward to 2021 when the bol return centre was opened: a state-of-the-art and specialised location, optimally set up to handle the wide variety of products bol receives as returns.

Now: Specialised return processing and advanced pilots
At bol, quality is paramount. This means that a specialist approach is needed to assess the returned products. The return centre has over 150 workstations where all returned items are carefully examined. If only the box has a minor damage but the product itself is still brand new, the packaging is repaired with a strong repair sticker, and the item can be restocked. Thanks to the QR code on the sticker, the customer knows that only the box is slightly damaged, while the product itself is brand new. We receive many positive reactions from customers who indicate they won't use the packaging anyway and appreciate the effort to avoid waste in this way. Heavily damaged boxes or packaging are replaced with a new box. The customer is informed about this with a flyer. New items, whose packaging damage cannot be solved with a repair sticker or new box, are sold at a discount in the returns deal store.

Sometimes more extensive actions are needed to make a returned product ready for a new owner. For this reason, we train colleagues in the return centre in different specialisms. Not only in assessing returns, but also in performing minor repairs, such as replacing plastic bags with closure strips or cleaning fingerprints. For certain products that require more thorough checks, we collaborate with a specialised partner. They carry out a detailed inspection and, depending on the condition, decide through which sales channel the product will be resold.

Behind the scenes, we are constantly working on improvements and innovations to handle the return flow in smarter ways. Successful pilots, such as the repair sticker, have been implemented not only in the return centre but also rolled out in bol fulfilment centres for boxes damaged during the distribution process. This is a great example of how our departments collaborate closely to reduce waste as much as possible.

Future: A new perspective on returns
Bol dreams of a future where society not only consumes differently but also handles returns differently. Achieving this is still a long road ahead, one that we take step by step with both our selling partners and customers. On the one hand, we continue to work on innovations that reduce the return flow, such as improving the information provided on our platform and implementing advanced AI applications. On the other hand, returns could play an important role in potential business models like refurbishment, second-hand, and repair, helping us extend the lifecycle of products as much as possible.

Iris van Rooijen, Return Manager at bol: “Returns will always be a part of e-commerce reality. Together with the consumer, we are responsible for ensuring that no unnecessary orders are returned. It is then our job to handle these returns in the most sustainable way possible. We are already quite advanced in this and are proud of how we responsibly deal with the return flow. Nonetheless, we constantly challenge ourselves and our selling partners to keep improving. There are still many opportunities for further development, where we focus on prolonging the life of each product and minimising waste.”