Return policy and consumer behaviour - a conceptual study

Summary, in English

This paper provides a framework by developing a conceptual model explaining how perceived return policy fairness influence consumer purchases intentions in an online context. By reviewing the literature in consumer return, signal and justice theory a conceptual model was developed. Consumer Return studies have historically been focused on reverse logistics but in the last decade moved focus towards consumer perception and the role of consumer return in the full process of purchasing online. The scholarly research within return management approaches consumer return from different angels resulting in an inhomogeneous research landscape. This paper builds on the existing theory and brings a proposal on how consumer returns and effect on consumer purchase intention can be explained and further studied. In e-commerce where no physical contact take place, companies return polices signal trust and comfort. This has been proven vital when making a purchase decision and therefore trust is believed to mediate the impact of perceived return policy fairness on purchase intention. This research can assist business executives in understanding and formulating their consumer return policies to fully reflect their intentions realizing the impact on consumer purchase intentions.

• Author: Stefan Hall Karlsson; Daniel Hellström; Klas Hjort; Pejvak Oghazi
• Department/s: Packaging Logistics
• Publishing year: 2017-08-23
• Language: English
• Document type: Conference paper
• Topic: Engineering and Technology; Social Sciences
• Conference name: The 24th Nordic Academy of Management Conference
• Conference date: 2017-08-23 - 2017-08-25
• Conference place: Bodø, Norway
• Status: Published
• Project: Value Creation in Internet Retail Returns Management