{"id":60493,"date":"2026-10-01T22:36:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T20:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prologistik.com\/solutions\/returns-made-easy\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T11:12:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T09:12:42","slug":"returns-made-easy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.prologistik.com\/en\/solutions\/returns-made-easy\/","title":{"rendered":"Returns Made Easy"},"content":{"rendered":" \n \n \n \n\t\t\t
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<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\tReturns Made Easy <\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t

Automated, scan-based returns processes with pLG WMS<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"R\u00fccksendung\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n \n \n \n \n \n\n
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These figures are shocking not only for online retailers: More than 500 million shipments containing over one billion items are returned each year in Germany alone\u2014with the fashion and textile industry leading the way (Source: EHI Retail Institute and the Returns Management Research Group at the University of Bamberg). <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The return rate for textiles and shoes ranges from 20 to 50 percent. Each individual return costs retailers an average of 5 to 10 euros for shipping, inspection, and processing, resulting in total losses amounting to several billion euros. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Added to this are external costs resulting from CO\u2082 emissions\u2014for example, approximately 1,500 grams of CO\u2082 equivalents per returned fashion item, which cause climate-related damage amounting to hundreds of millions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For fast-growing e-commerce startups<\/strong>, managing returns as efficiently as possible is a strategic success factor.<\/strong> The reality is quite different: While many companies are continuously optimizing their processes for receiving and shipping goods, returns often remain a bottleneck. Manual checks, data discrepancies, and long processing times tie up valuable resources and delay the return of saleable merchandise to inventory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news: Modern warehouse management systems now enable largely automated, scan-based returns processes. Solutions like pLG WMS lay the groundwork for processing returns quickly, transparently, and with minimal manual effort\u2014and even turn what might seem like a cost factor into a competitive advantage. <\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Returns are no longer a special process<\/strong> <\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Many companies still treat returns as an exception. In fact, as business volume grows, returns are evolving into a logistics process in their own right, with high demands on speed, transparency, and data quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Startups, in particular, often follow the same growth trajectory: In the early stages, returns can still be processed manually. However, as soon as several hundred or thousand returns are received each day, these processes reach their limits. Professional returns management must therefore be organized just as efficiently as the shipping process itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequences of Poor Returns Management:<\/strong>  <\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n