The eCommerce industry is not only a boon for brands and sellers but indeed for customers also. However, customers these days have developed a tendency to fill up their carts with multiple numbers of various products, trying them at their house, and then deciding to keep a few for themselves and return the rest of them. This rising trend among customers is known as bracketing, which refers to buy and return.
In recent research, it has been found that more than 60% of customers indulge in bracketing, and this trend may skyrocket in the coming years. It has become the most painful problem for brands mostly that are selling apparel and home decor items. Customers generally order more than one product but keep only a few because they might face size and quality issues. Apart from this, they can repeat this practice intentionally while wearing any specific clothing just for once and then return it. Customers may find it convenient for them, but it can become a significant problem for your online business. This individual blog has mentioned some impeccable tips to combat bracketing. Let’s get down and find out how to tackle this issue.
What is Bracketing?
Bracketing is basically a practice of over-ordering apparel or any other product with various sizes and styles by customers. It may seem an innocent practice by customers, but in reality, it is wreaking havoc on sellers or brands’. This mischievous practice by customers increases the number of returns, and these returns are primarily free for customers but can affect the overall health of your eCommerce business. According to a survey done by Vogue magazine, more than 65% of customers returned their purchases on a daily basis. It has also been found that more than 45% of customers intentionally buy more products than they intend to keep for themselves.
However, here we have mentioned some smart tips that can help you resolve the bracketing issues.
Enormous Reasons That Enforce Bracketing
Indeed there are an enormous number of customers who intentionally repeat the bracketing. Still, if you see the other side of this eCommerce business, you will find out that there are multiple reasons why customers buy, try and then return several products.
Undescribed Product Descriptions
One of the primary reasons behind bracketing is product pages with no description or having less informative descriptions about the product. When selling clothing, you must mention all the product’s sizes, colors, fabrics, and materials. It is pretty evident that if customers do not have clarity on these, there are chances that they might return the product if it doesn’t fit them or if they don’t like the fabric or the color of the product. So it is essential to add an elaborative product description while listing your products on various eCommerce platforms. In this regard, you can take the help of any listing quality analysis software such as etraKY BS; it can help send you an alert notification whenever you list a product without a description.
Flexible and Easy Returns
Flexible and easy return policies provide liberty to the customers to return the product whenever they want for a limited period of time. Hence, customers don’t fear returning the products because they are free. So to restrict the bracketing as a brand, you can apply some terms and conditions to returning products.
Hazy or Unclear Product Images
Customers may return the product if they find it is not as similar as they have seen on the eCommerce platform. That is why it is best to upload high-resolution product images that provide a clear idea about the product and minimize the chance of bracketing. Product images should always be clear and as it is as your actual product. In online shopping, customers buy a product mainly after analyzing the images.
Tips to Restrict Bracketing for Your eCommerce Business
Enhance the Listing Quality of Your Product
In terms of restricting the bracketing, you should enhance the listing quality of your products on every eCommerce platform on which you sell your products. To enhance this aspect of your eCommerce business, it is necessary to add elaborative product descriptions, titles, and high-resolution images and videos on your product page. It can help your customers to have more information about the product; once they get the clarity, it is possible that they won’t return them. Your product description must include the item’s size, color, material, and information. Bracketing a product can be a customer’s choice, but you can restrict that by not giving them a single reason to return their purchases.
Highlight Product Reviews
Positive reviews on any specific product positively affect customers and encourage them to buy it without any doubt. However, to increase the number of positive reviews on your product page, ask your customers to leave their valuable comments. You send them a request email, SMS, or WhatsApp message to leave their genuine feedback on your product. Believe it or not, reviews have the power to influence customers easily as it’s human nature; we used to believe in others’ experiences—highlight positive reviews on your product page, which can work magically in restricting the bracketing. You can use agile review management software to manage the customers’ reviews. It can showcase all the reviews from multiple channels in one dashboard and make it much easier for you to view them.
Implement Easy Exchange
Implementing an easy exchange process can change the dynamics of bracketing and can restrict it for a more extended period. An exchange feature allows the customer to get another piece of clothing if they find any issues with the size and color. Customers may be less likely to bracket their purchases if they find the exchange process straightforward and less complex. In this way, you can save yourself from getting into the troubling cycle of returns.
Apply a Virtual Try-on Feature
We live in a tech-friendly era; it is one of the significant aspects of the eCommerce business. To provide clarity for your products, you can effectively implement augmented reality (AR) into your eCommerce brand. This technology effectively minimizes the gap between the physical and virtual shopping experience. Customers can virtually try your products on them through the AR feature and may buy that item in no time if they find it beneficial or suitable for them. Today, many beauty and apparel brands are providing this facility to their customers to restrict the bracketing.
Conclusion
Now you must understand the bracketing and how you can eliminate it effectively. Undoubtedly, bracketing is super easy for customers but proves costly for your online business. However, implementing the tricks mentioned above to restrict the bracketing can help you tremendously. On the other hand, an elaborative product description, high-resolution images, and videos can also help reduce bracketing properly. In this regard, etraKY BS can undoubtedly help you by notifying you every time you go wrong in terms of adding descriptions and images while listing your products on marketplaces.
