Returns processing
Returns processing that puts your product back on the shelf
Apparel and footwear come back more than anything else in ecommerce. Every Simpl fulfillment client gets returns handled at any volume: inspected, graded, refolded, re-bagged and re-barcoded, with photos of anything we mark damaged. Good inventory goes back into stock instead of getting written off.
What apparel brands tell us when they switch
Returns are slow, fiddly work, and in a warehouse built for outbound speed they can end up at the back of the line. We hear this from almost every apparel brand that moves to us. Their last 3PL let returns sit for weeks, called everything damaged, threw returns away, or wouldn't process them at all. A shirt with a wrinkle or a torn polybag got marked damaged because that was faster than fixing it, and the brand found out later, when sellable stock was short and write-offs were high.
Shipping orders and processing returns are different jobs, and a warehouse that does the first well isn't automatically set up for the second. We built our returns process so that story doesn't repeat here: every return is inspected and graded against rules you set, sellable items are reworked and restocked, and anything we mark damaged is photographed so you can see why.
What happens to every return
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Checked in and matched
Each return is scanned in and matched to its order, so you know what came back and when.
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Inspected and graded
Checked by hand for stains, odors, wear, damage, missing tags and missing pieces, then graded against rules you set: sellable as-is, sellable after rework, or not sellable.
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Refolded, re-bagged, re-barcoded
Sellable garments go back in a fresh polybag with a new barcode, so they pick and ship like new stock.
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Footwear handled as its own job
Shoes and boots are checked for wear, soles cleaned, stuffed and reshaped, re-tissued and re-boxed.
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Damaged items photographed
If we mark something damaged, the photo is in your dashboard, so you can see why.
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Back in sellable stock
Restocked units return to available inventory and sync to your store.
Every return, visible in our own software
We built our own returns software because off-the-shelf tools didn't fit how apparel returns actually work. You see each return's status, the reason the customer gave, photos of anything marked damaged, and how many units went back into stock. You set the grading rules, and your customers get a branded returns portal.
Works with the returns app you already use
Our warehouse runs on ShipHero, which connects with Loop, Happy Returns and AfterShip. Your customers keep the return experience they know, and the returns land with us.
Why returns matter more for high-SKU catalogs
A tee in five sizes and four colors is twenty SKUs. A return in the wrong bag or with a missing label ends up on the wrong shelf, and the next order ships the wrong size. Getting the right SKU back into the right bin is most of the job. See how we handle high-SKU catalogs.
What can go wrong vs. What Simpl does
| What can go wrong | What Simpl does | |
|---|---|---|
| Wrinkle or torn bag | Written off as damaged | Refolded, re-bagged, restocked |
| Item marked damaged | No photo, no way to check | Photo in your dashboard |
| Grading | Left to whoever opens the box | Rules you set |
| Footwear | Processed like any other item | Cleaned, reshaped, re-boxed |
| Wrong size in the box | Restocked under the wrong SKU | Re-barcoded to the correct SKU |
Questions to ask any 3PL about returns
Before you pick a fulfillment partner, ask how they handle what comes back:
- Who decides an item is damaged, and can I see a photo?
- Whose grading rules do you use, mine or yours?
- How long does a return take to get back into sellable stock?
- What happens to a wrinkled shirt or a torn polybag?
- Can I see every return's status and reason without emailing support?
Our answers: your grading rules, a photo on anything we mark damaged, rework instead of write-offs, most returns back in stock within 5 business days, and a dashboard that shows every return.
