You likely know the CEA Consumer Electronics Association (CE.org) for their big, annual Consumer Electronics show in Vegas, but you may not know that the CEA is also a wealth of knowledge and research to help understand, assess and reduce your Product Returns.

The CEA has assembled the following research related to product returns can be found on the Members section of CEA’s website (login required):

• CE Product Returns- Understand Why They Occur and How to Reduce Them (2011) • Product Returns and the Economic Landscape Analysis Brief (2010) • Post-Holiday Study: Measuring Purchases, Returns and Gift Card Redemptions (2010) • CE Product Returns - Why They Happen and How to Reduce Them (2008) • Return Rates and Issues for CE Products Update (2005) • Consumer Electronics and Product Returns: An In-Depth Look (2005) • Home Networks and Product Returns (2004) • Return Rates and Issues for CE Products (2002) • Repair and Return Issues in the CE Industry (2000) • Return Policy Issues (1997) • No Questions Asked Return Policies (1994)

Additionally, the CEA is now organizing a new 2014 Product Returns study and survey to be conducted this fall as an update to the 2011 research, CE Product Returns- Understand Why They Occur and How to Reduce Them (2011). The 2011 research is a must read document for retailers, manufacturers and everyone in the Product Returns and Reverse Logistics industry.

This ninth study in a series on CE returns was designed to meet the following objectives.

 Objective 1: Measure CE product return rates 
 Objective 2: Understand why consumers are returning products 
 Objective 3: Assess satisfaction with the return process 
 Objective 4: Understand the outcome of returns, such as refunds and product exchanges 
 Objective 5: Learn how to reduce returns 

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The quantitative study was administered in 2011 via telephone interview to a random national sample of 2,036 U.S. adults and the survey results present excellent data on:

 Returns Rates and the Retail Experience
 When, Where and Why Consumers Return Products
 Satisfaction with Returns Process and Information Sources

The research is free to members or can be purchased by non-members. Chances are if you are reading this article, your company is already a member. Any source of knowledge to assist your company to reduce returns is money well spent! The research presents a large number of key findings that you will absolutely find beneficial to assess and reduce your Return rates or build your business case for Returns and Reverse Logistics improvements.

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Paul Rupnow
Paul Rupnow - Director, Reverse Logistics Systems, Andlor Logistics Systems Inc. Editor - Reverse Logistics Professional Report Business Insights and Strategies for Managing Product Returns