For online apparel retailers, sizing has proven to be a particularly thorny challenge - no matter how much information is provided online, it is often impossible for an online shopper to determine exactly which size of an apparel item will fit her best. Given the increasing ubiquity of free...

Consumer return rates have been steadily rising in recent years, resulting in growing costs for retailers who must manage the returns process and the disposition of returned products. This cost pressure is driven in part by extremely generous return policies, such as giving consumers a full...

Many companies are reluctant to enter the remanufacturing market because of concern with cannibalization of new sales, competition from current remanufacturers, and the willingness of consumers to purchase remanufactured products. What is often missing, however, is an in-depth understanding of...

Although generous return policies have been shown to have marketing benefits, such as a higher willingness to pay and a higher purchase frequency, counterbalancing these benefits is an increased volume of consumer returns, which presents significant operational challenges for both retailers and...

When a consumer cannot fully assess her valuations of competing products prior to purchase, she must make a purchase decision based on imperfect product information. However, with the advent of online channels for widely disseminating individual user reviews, consumers are now able to learn from...

Although lenient return policies can drive sales and customer loyalty, they have also resulted in enormous returns volumes and reverse logistics costs. Online retailers often feel compelled to offer free returns, but are then faced with numerous operational challenges, ranging from accurately...