The mantra for many things used to be "one and done." The idea was that you made a deliberate choice about something and called it a day. You considered the options, weighed the pros and cons of each item or action, and then picked a single direction to take and accepted the consequences right or wrong. Of course, once you made your choice, occasionally it turned out not to be the best approach, and you had to backtrack and take another stab at it. But for reasons of money, time or simply convenience, the goal was to at least try to get it right on the first go. Or as one associate put it, "The older I get I only want to do things twice once."
That approach has changed in so many areas. Take photography. Used to be that you lined up a picture, considered the composition, made whatever adjustments you thought made sense, and snapped the shot. And that was it. Maybe you took a second snap for safety. But since you couldn't see the results until after you paid to develop and print it, all of which cost real dollars, you tried to get it right the first time. Now pictures cost nothing to take and you can see the result instantly, so there is literally no good reason to take just one. And so you take multiples of multiples. Check your phone: I'll wager that nearly every picture you have includes numerous options of the same. You likely haven't deleted any, save the ones where you put your finger over the lens.
Perhaps the biggest change is in shopping. If you needed a pair of pants, you looked at the ads in the papers, reviewed the items already in your closet, and then headed to a store. You perused the racks, perhaps pulling out several pairs and putting them back before selecting a few possibles. Then it was a trip (or trips) to the dressing room to see how big your butt looked in the mirror. After several attempts you settled on a winner and paid for your purchase. Once you got home you tried it on for your partner, and only if they didn't say "what were you thinking!!???" you kept them.
No more. Whether it's clothes or accessories, home furnishings or sports equipment, you start not from the position of "that's the one I think I want" but rather "these are the ones I want to try out." While the TV is playing the background or your other is making dinner you scroll through different websites, looking at pictures, reading reviews and checking out prices. Then you order this one and that one, knowing full well that you have no intention of keeping them all. They show up, be they shoes or dresses, ipad holders or coffee cups. You try them all out, select the one you like, and then bundle up the rest to send back.
Online merchants have had to completely retool their economics and work flows to accommodate this change. In the brick and mortar world, retail returns are in the 2% to 10% range depending on the category. In ecommerce it's more like 20%, with some categories of apparel approaching 40%. By some reports, the annual retail value of returned goods in the US is approaching a trillion dollars.
That has also led retailers to change how they handle returns to optimize the economics. In many cases that has meant making consumer take their "free" returns to a central spot for drop off rather than individually shipping each item back. And in an increasing number of instances, they are telling you just to keep the item while they credit you. Someone has done the math, and the cost to ship back an unworn pair of socks and get it back into the supply side is way more than any profit margin.
If you're like me, you've added a new requirement for anything you buy online. Sure, it's gotta look like it will fit or work for my use, that's a given. But it's also has to be able to be sent back at no cost and with no explanation for a full refund. Because while it may be better to give than receive, it's best to be able to return.
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Marc Wollin of Bedford will often buy two options. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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