what to do with returned merchandise

WHAT DOES A COMPANY DO WITH RETURNS?

THE NORTH FACE HAS THE ANSWER

TNF to trial the sale of refurbished products

Outdoor brand The North Face (TNF) has announced the launch of a pilot programme which will see it sell refurbished apparel online in an effort to extend the life of its products.

The refurbished products will be sold as part of the brand’s new ‘Renewed’ collection. It is targeted at consumers “who want to access affordable gear and reduce their environmental impact”.

All the items in the collection are sourced from returned, defective or damaged apparel. They have been inspected, cleaned and refurbished to The North Face’s quality and performance standards.

James Rogers, director of sustainability for The North Face, said: "As we address the impacts of our products over their entire lifecycle, re-commerce is an important next step in opening new markets and minimising our impact on the planet. We are furthering our sustainability goals without sacrificing durability or technical standards. Ultimately, as we work to scale Renewed, we will be proving a larger, circular model for the industry."

During the pilot phase of the project, the ‘Renewed’ collection will only be offered online. The products are available through a dedicated website.

The above article was reprinted from SGB online magazine web site.

I can’t imagine the volume of retuned merchandise that they get back if they are resorting to this tactic to get rid of it. Are they refunding these customers or are they replacing the items for equal value through the retail stores that carry their products. How much is it costing them in office costs dealing with this problem; plenty I am sure! So in order to recoup some of the costs and to show how they are being kind to the planet they have set up this program.

If the product did not work for the first or original buyer why should it work for a new buyer? Interesting use of words “without sacrificing durability” etc., well if the product were durable in the first place it would not have come back. How about “technical standards” (I have never understood the term, I do not believe it has any meaning) but if it didn’t meet technical standards to begin with why after refurbishing will it?

They are “re-commercing” these defective items, doesn’t the wording sound very good? Doesn’t it give you a warm fuzzy feeling about TNF? They are a business owned by VF Corporation a holding company and VF is only and I mean only interested in the bottom line.

I may be possible that some of these items wind up being sold as first quality or through companies that carry gifts such a Federal Express in their awards program. I am of the opinion that these companies will do devious things the sell product because they have so many levels that you would have to go through with a complaint that most people just give up and walk away.

Welcome to being a consumer in America.

Other companies like Columbia, Nike etc. may do the same thing. I was reminded that Patagonia has also done something like this.

THE W/P BEAT GOES ON

The company is Schoeller Textil AG I believe located in Sweden. It is completely irrelevant how much information surfaces dictating that waterproof and breathable material does not exist they keep developing newer and newer waterproof and breathable fabrics that do not work any better than their older materials which did not work. I have been reading about their developments in the Specialty Fabrics Review magazine. This publication will and does promote every failure of a w/p product that comes down the pike without fail. They have been doing this for years and I find it very difficult to believe they are oblivious to the failure of such a beast.

They stay with it at the magazine so they have something to write about even if they know the product does not exist. They have never as has any garment or boot manufacturer or retailer asked for proof of the w/p working. Obviously that is par for the course.

Put a w/p garment on any of these people and when they start sweating and then ask them where the moisture is if it is not getting out of the garment why they keep promoting it. Because it sells they will tell you. Okay so let us screw in their opinion the lowly consumer. Until the lowly consumers wake up and leave these garments on the racks the beat will go on!!!