E-commerce Returns Experience Survey
Understand how online shoppers evaluate return eligibility, compare refund options, and navigate pickup, exchange, and support experiences, so you can improve conversion, sharpen policy positioning, strengthen retention, and optimise reverse-logistics channel strategy.
CONTEXT & RELEVANCE
Why run this survey now
Most online retailers don't lose loyalty purely on refund speed. They underperform due to unclear eligibility, pickup failures, delayed status updates, refund uncertainty, and exchange constraints, none of which fully show up in return rates or support logs.
If you are...
- E-commerce experience leaders
- Reverse logistics heads
- Digital product owners
- Marketplace operations teams
RESEARCH THEMES
What This Survey Investigates
Eight interconnected research themes that map the complete e-commerce returns journey from purchase expectations to resolution and repurchase.
Expectations & Policy
- Return window clarity
- Eligibility confidence before purchase
Return Triggers
- Product expectation mismatch
- Fulfilment-related product defects
Initiation & Eligibility
- Return request usability
- Eligibility rejection points
Pickup & Handover
- Scheduling convenience expectations
- Courier handover reliability
Refund & Exchange
- Resolution choice trade-offs
- Completion speed expectations
Communication & Support
- Status update usefulness
- Escalation channel effectiveness
Trust & Fairness
- Policy fairness perceptions
- Fraud-control acceptance levels
Loyalty & Recovery
- Repurchase intent shifts
- Recovery action preferences
SAMPLING STRATEGY
Tell us about your ideal sample
Help us understand your target respondent profile. Select what applies, we'll design the optimal sample plan based on your inputs.
METHODOLOGY
Survey approach
For E-commerce Returns Experience Survey, we recommend a quant-led journey diagnostic with flexible data-collection modes to balance reach, depth, and verification across categories, platforms, return outcomes, and shopper cohorts.
EXECUTION PROCESS
How we execute
A proven 9-step process from scoping to delivery, designed to ensure quality, speed, and actionable insights.
Define the decision frame
Confirm objectives, target cohorts, geographies, and reporting cuts
Define the decision frame
Design the instrument
Build workstream modules mapped to outputs (drivers, friction, pricing, retention, trust)
Design the instrument
Lock the questionnaire
Review wording, sequencing, LOI, and competitive context; approve final version
Lock the questionnaire
Pilot and calibrate
Test comprehension and ease quality; refine quotas and remove friction where needed
Pilot and calibrate
Run fieldwork
Execute collection with active quota management and feasibility controls
Run fieldwork
Assure quality
Dedupe, attention checks, speed/consistency rules, removals with audit trail
Assure quality
Prepare the dataset
Clean data and deliver codebook/variable definitions
Prepare the dataset
Analyse and synthesise
Driver ranking, leakage diagnostics, pricing bands, segment insights
Analyse and synthesise
Deliver and align
Executive deck (optional dashboard) and leadership readout with recommendations
Deliver and align
COMMERCIAL TERMS
Request a Commercial Proposal
Pricing depends on cohort, geography, sample size, approach, LOI, and deliverables. Configure below for an indicative estimate.
Select Sample Size
Geography
Select Mode of Survey
Length of the Interview
$0.00
+ applicable taxes
Cost Breakdown
Note: Estimate is indicative only. Final pricing is subject to scope finalization after discovery call.
REFERENCE CASELETS
Reference
Real-world examples of survey work in the e-commerce experience space.
Delivery Promise Positioning Across Online Shopper Segments (India)
OBJECTIVE
WHAT WE DID
DELIVERED
Delivery Promise Positioning Across Online Shopper Segments (India)
Membership Benefit Design for Digital Commerce Cohorts (Southeast Asia)
Delivery Promise Positioning Across Online Shopper Segments (India)
OBJECTIVE
A pan-India marketplace needed to understand how frequent shoppers , deal seekers , and premium buyers valued competing same-day , scheduled , and low-cost delivery promises before refining acquisition messages and channel positioning across major categories.
WHAT WE DID
We ran a structured online survey across metropolitan, tier-one, and tier-two shoppers, capturing delivery urgency , fee tolerance , basket context, category expectations, message appeal, and switching likelihood for three fulfilment propositions.
DELIVERED
The study produced a delivery preference map , message territories , segment-level channel levers , and a prioritised proposition matrix showing which delivery promises resonated by shopper type, category, basket value, and purchase occasion.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common Questions
Answers to frequently asked questions about this survey mandate.
What decisions will this survey enable?
Who is the buyer vs who are the respondents?
Can we see differences between marketplace shoppers, brand-site shoppers and social-commerce shoppers?
How will you measure return resolution preference beyond simple ratings?
Will the survey map the full return journey and drop-offs?
Can this survey inform product and pricing strategy?
How will findings improve our repeat purchase and retention strategy?
Still have questions?
Schedule a discovery call to discuss your specific needs and get a custom quote.