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NRF'S Tips for Many Happy Returns: More Consumers Including Receipts with Holiday Gifts

Christmas Tree WASHINGTON, DC, Dec 11, 2006/ --- More people will be finding a gift receipt tucked in with their presents this holiday season, according to the latest National Retail Federation (NRF) Survey.

The fourth annual Returns survey, conducted for NRF by BIGresearch, found that 56.9 percent of holiday gift givers enclose either a gift receipt or an original receipt with a gift most or some of the time, up from 49.0 percent in 2005.

"It has become common practice for store employees to automatically ask shoppers if they would like a gift receipt with their purchase," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. "Gift receipts not only simplify the return process for the consumer, but they also allow the retailer to verify that the merchandise was purchased in their store.”

According to the survey, slightly more than one in three consumers (37.6%) will return at least some portion of their gifts this holiday season. And when it comes to retailers’ policies, consumers understand that they have been implemented for specific reasons, with 88.2 percent of consumers polled stating that they find stores' return policies to be fair.

“Retailers are constantly doing their best to make sure that the return process is as streamlined as possible,” said Mullin. "While they are working to maximize the shopping experience for their customers, they are also working hard to minimize the possibility of potential fraud."

Here are a few tips for stress-free returns after the holidays:

  • Know the retailer's return policy before you buy. Most retailers have return policies prominently displayed, especially at this time of year. Gift-givers should read and remember them. If you do not see the policies displayed make sure to ask a sales associate.

  • Save and file all receipts! Receipts are still the key to hassle-free returns. Many retailers will allow consumers to exchange merchandise without a receipt. However, without a receipt, a retailer may only provide merchandise credit for the lowest markdown-price at which the item was sold in the past 30 days. Make sure to destroy the receipt once you are sure that you will no longer need it.

  • Provide all original packaging and all parts (including all tags) when giving a gift. Some retailers won't accept returns unless the item is in its original package. If you plan to take back a gift when it is unwrapped, resist the urge to open it or play with it. No one wants to buy someone else's merchandise.

  • Ask for a gift receipt to make gift returns easier. Ask the retailer if they issue gift receipts. These receipts contain all the necessary information to prove the items were purchased, minus the price.

  • Make your online returns easy! Returns are a part of shopping, no matter where you choose to shop. In addition to the other common sense rules of returns, here are a few things to find out before you purchase a gift online:

    1. Know the process – Who pays for shipping the return, you or the merchant? Some merchants will pick up the delivery charges for exchanges, but not for returns.

    2. Where to make returns – Does the retailer have a physical store, and can returns or exchanges be made there? Make sure you have the correct address if you need to mail returns back to the company. Some merchants have off-site service centers that handle returns that may be in a different location from where the merchandise is sent.

    Don't delay! Consumers should plan to make returns as soon as possible after the holidays to take advantage of extended hours and extra help, and to get the best selection of merchandise for an alternate gift.

    Remember, the week after Christmas is one of the busiest weeks of the retail year. With people’s frustration high and tolerance low, be patient when returning merchandise.

    For more information please log on at: www.nrf.com

    Previous: November Retail Industry Sales Up 6.3 % Next: Shop.org Offers Ten Tips for Shopping Online This Holiday Season
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