Just Keep It: When and Why Returnless Product Returns Foster Brand Support

Many retailers now use “returnless returns,” which allow customers to keep the products they want to return. Nine studies demonstrate that consumers who experience returnless returns demonstrate a greater likelihood to patronize the brand and are more likely to share positive word of mouth relative to consumers who are told to return these products (i.e., as in standard product returns) and consumers who make purchases that are not returned. This effect generalizes across contexts (e.g., reasons for initiating the return) and is mediated through brand warmth, as allowing consumers to keep unwanted purchases signals a communal orientation. Leveraging their theoretical framework, the authors identify moderators to offer insights into how managers considering offering returnless product returns can most effectively signal brand warmth and foster support. Specifically, returnless returns increase brand support when proof of product issue is not required, the decision is framed as specific to that consumer and situation, the brand provides a consumer- or environmentally-centric motive for the decision, and the brand suggests donating the kept product. Thus, the findings identify an often-overlooked benefit of returnless returns beyond cutting costs and provide managers with practical guidance about how to communicate with consumers during returnless return experiences to foster future brand support.