PFS Europe comment: High street retailers are threatening to burn products returned by EU shoppers

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PFS Europe comment: High street retailers are threatening to burn products returned by EU shoppers

Following the news that some high street retailers may burn products returned by EU shoppers to avoid the cost and red tape associated with Brexit, Christophe Pecoraro, Managing Director at PFS Europe, advises retailers on how alternative fulfilment methods can help them overcome some of the logistical challenges they are currently facing: 

“The news that high street retailers are threatening to burn products returned by EU shoppers, rather than bringing them back to the UK, comes as no surprise as brands desperately attempt to avoid the costs and red tape associated with Brexit. Reverse logistics can be costly and labour intensive for retailers at the best of times, let alone with the added complexities of border delays, VAT, import duties and associated paper work. 

“To overcome this, brands must look to a multi-node fulfilment solution, where inventory is split across regions. By dispersing inventory across the UK and mainland Europe and establishing multiple distribution points, retailers and brands are able to bypass customs delays and carrier surcharges. An advanced Distributed Order Management (DOM) system will ensure your order management system (OMS) can divert orders to the appropriate inventory pool, depending on a number of factors, from delivery address to product type.”