Learn More About Return Analytics
Overview
The analytics dashboard allows businesses to track their returns and exchange performance. With detailed insights into key metrics, businesses can identify return reasons, reduce costs, improve their return policy, and retain more revenue from returns. This guide will provide an in-depth look at the key features of the analytics dashboard.
What you’ll learn
- Overview dashboard
- Product dashboard
- Operations dashboard
- Upsell performance dashboard
- Customers dashboard
Common settings
Following are the settings and configurations that are consistent across all dashboards within the analytics:
- Order created date: Analytics shown are according to the order creation date and not the date the return was processed. **For example, **the last 30 days will show all return data associated with orders placed in the last 30 days, not necessarily all returns placed in the last 30 days.
- Store: The analytics dashboard is store-specific. You can switch between different stores connected to your account.
Overview dashboard
The Overview dashboard provides a view of your overall return performance, including metrics like retained revenue, item return rates, and return value.
Key metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of key metrics displayed in the overview dashboard:
Metric | Description | Calculation |
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Retained revenue | The total revenue retained from returns via store credit and exchanges |
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Retained revenue ratio | The percentage of the revenue retained via store credit and exchanges from the total value of return items | Retained revenue ratio = (retained revenue / return value) * 100 |
Requested refund | This is the total value of items for which customers chose a refund. Please note that this is the expected refund value of a return item and not the actual refunded amount. |
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Refund ratio | The percentage of the total return value requested as a refund to the original payment method | Refund ratio = (requested refund / total return value) * 100 |
Return requests | The number of return requests |
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Return value | The total value of items returned by customers. Please note that this value excludes the cost of return. | Return value = Retained revenue + Requested refund |
Order return rate | The percentage of orders with return requests | Order return rate = (orders with returns / total orders) * 100 |
Item return rate | The percentage of items customers requested a return | Item return rate = (total return items / total items sold) * 100 |
Other metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the metrics:
Metric | Description |
|---|---|
Top 5 return reasons | Top five return reasons that have the most return items. Details are available in the return reason report. |
Top 5 customers by return value | Top five customers who have the highest return value |
Returns by shipping method | The distribution of the shipping options your customers chose to return items |
Return label costs by carrier | The total amount spent on prepaid return labels by carrier |
Reports
Return rate over time
This report allows you to view the return rate over time based on order created date. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- Order created date: The date when the order was created.
- Orders with returns: The total number of orders that had return requests.
- Total orders: The total number of orders placed within the selected time frame.
- Order return rate: The percentage of orders with return requests compared to total number of orders.
- Return items: The total quantity of items that were returned.
- Total items sold: The total quantity of items sold within the selected time period.
- Item return rate: The percentage of items that were returned compared to the total items sold.
Products dashboard
The Product dashboard is helpful for understanding which products have the highest return rates and what are the top return reasons.
Key metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of key metrics displayed in the product dashboard:
Metric | Description |
|---|---|
Top 5 products by return quantity | The top five products with the most returned items. Please note that this metric is at the product level and not the variant level. |
Top 5 products by return rate | Top five products that have the highest item return rate. Please note that this metric is at the product level and not the variant level. |
Top 5 return reasons by return quantity | The top five return reasons chosen by the customer. |
Reports
Returned product
The report lists all returned products based on the order created date and the store connection. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- Product title: Displays the name or title of the product
- Return value: The total estimated value of the returned items based on product prices
- Return quantity: The total number of the product items returned by customers
- Total items sold: The total number of items sold for this product during the selected time period.
- Item return rate: The percentage of items returned compared to the total items sold
The reports can be filtered on the basis of:
- Order created: Based on a specific date range
- Store: Data associated with the particular store
- Product title: Based on the product name or title
- Collection: Based on the collection the product belongs to.
- Variant: Based on the specific product variants.
- SKU: Based on the SKU.
Return reasons
The report lists the return reasons chosen by the customers. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- Product title: Displays the name or title of the product
- Variant SKU: Shows the unique SKU for the specific product variant being returned
- Return reason: Indicates the reason for the product return
- Sub-reason: Provides additional detail on the specific cause for the return
- Return items: Shows the total number of the products being returned.
- Return value: Displays the total monetary value associated with the returned products.
The report can be filtered on the basis of:
- Order created: Based on a specific date range
- Store: Data associated with the particular store
- Return reason: Based on the reason for the product return
- Sub-reason: Based on the additional detail on the specific cause for the return
- Product title: Based on the product name or title
- SKU: Based on the SKU.
Operations dashboard
The operations dashboard helps you monitor your return process efficiency, with key insights into return operations, processing time, and cost savings through automation.
Key metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of key metrics displayed in the operations dashboard:
Metric | Description | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
Retained revenue | The total revenue retained through exchanges, refunds to store credits, and replacements rather than issuing a refund. | Retained revenue = Exchange revenue + Store credit revenue + Shop now revenue |
Exchange revenue | The total value retained when customers exchange for the same item rather than return them for a refund to their original payment method. |
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Store credit revenue | The total value retained when the customers chose store credit instead of a refund to their original payment method. |
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Shop now revenue | The total value retained when customers use the “Shop now” option. Please note that the maximum retained value by shop now is return value, any value exceeding return value is treated as upsell value. |
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Retained revenue ratio | The percentage of retained revenue from the total value of return items | Retained revenue ratio = (retained revenue / return value) * 100 |
Exchange revenue ratio | The percentage of the total return value retained through exchanges for the same item | Exchange revenue ratio = (exchange revenue / total return value) * 100 |
Store credit revenue ratio | The percentage of the total return value retained as store credit | Store credit revenue ratio = (store credit revenue / total return value) * 100 |
Shop now revenue ratio | The percentage of the total return value retained through the “Shop now” option | Shop now revenue ratio = (Shop now revenue / total return value) * 100 |
Other metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the metrics:
Metric | Description |
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Retained revenue over time | The total revenue retained with refunds to store credit, replacements, and exchanges over a particular time |
Return countries / regions | The countries / regions of customers who requested a return |
Avg. processing time | Average time from |
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Return automations | Includes RMAs that trigger automation rules |
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| This displays the RMA request quantity and estimated saved time. For e.g., every automation rule saves 5 minutes |
Top 5 return item tags | Top five return tags counted by return item quantity |
Return label costs by carrier | The total amount spent on prepaid return labels by carrier |
Reports
Return label costs
The report lists the details of the total amount spent on prepaid return labels by carrier. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- RMA no.: Displays the RMA number assigned to the return.
- Return requested date: Shows the date when the RMA was created for the return
- Tracking no.: Shows the carrier tracking number associated with the return shipment.
- Carrier: Displays the carrier name associated with the return shipment.
- Service: Indicates the shipping method used for the return
- Label costs: Displays the cost of the return label in the store's currency
Return item tags
The report lists the details of the return tags counted by return item quantity. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- Item tag: Represents the item tag assigned to a returned item.
- Quantity: Indicates the total count of items associated with each tag.
Upsell performance
The Upsell Performance section tracks additional revenue generated through exchanges. This is important for understanding how your return process can also drive sales.
Key metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of key metrics displayed in the product dashboard:
Metric | Description | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
Upsell revenue | Additional upsell value generated from exchanges for a higher value product. Please note that the upsell value is calculated by the estimated product value only, and the cost of return and exchange shipping won’t be involved in the analysis. |
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Upsell rate | The percentage of RMAs (return requests) that resulted in upsell compared to total RMAs. | Upsell rate = (return requests with upsells / total return requests) * 100 |
Upsell value per return | The additional upsell revenue generated per return request. | Upsell revenue per return = upsell revenue / total return requests |
Average upsell | The average amount of additional revenue for each return request that resulted in an upsell | Average upsell = upsell revenue / return requests with upsells |
Other metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of metrics:
Metric | Description |
|---|---|
Upsell revenue over time | The additional revenue generated from exchanges |
Upsell rate over time | The percentage of return requests that resulted in upsells |
Top 5 products by exchange quantity | The top five products which have the highest number of exchange requests |
Top 5 requests by upsell revenue | The top five products which have the highest upsell revenue |
Reports
Exchange products
The report lists the products which have the highest number of exchange requests. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- Product title: Displays the name or title of the product.
- Product type: Indicates the category of the product.
- Collection: Specifies the product collection it belongs to.
- Variant title: Shows the specific variant title of the product.
- Variant SKU: Indicates the SKU of the variant being replaced through the exchange.
- Exchange quantity: Displays the total number of units exchanged for the product variant.
Upsell revenue from exchanges
The report lists the products that have the upsell revenue from exchanges. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- RMA no.: Displays the RMA number associated with the exchange request.
- Return request date: Shows the date when the RMA was created for the exchange request.
- Return value: Displays the monetary value of the returned product.
- Exchange value: Indicates the monetary value of the product being exchanged.
- Credit for exchange: Shows the amount of bonus credits issued to the customer in the store’s currency.
- Upsell revenue: Represents the additional revenue generated from the upsell, displayed in the store’s currency.
Customers dashboard
The customers dashboard allows you to track return activity by customer, helping identify repeat returns and improve your return policy to avoid policy abuse.
Key metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of key metrics displayed in the product dashboard:
Metric | Description |
|---|---|
Customers with returns | The number of customers who raised return requests |
Customer return rate | The percentage of customers who requested a return |
Other metrics
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the metrics:
Metric | Description |
|---|---|
Top 5 customers by return value | Top five customers who have the highest return value |
Top 5 customers by value return rate | Top five customers who have the highest percentage of the total order item value that has been requested for return |
Top 5 customers by order with returns | Top five customers who return the most of number of orders |
Top 5 customers by order return rate | Top five customers who have the highest order return rate |
Top 5 customers by return item quantity | Top five customers who return the most number of items |
Top 5 customers by item return rate | Top five customers who have the highest item return rate |
Reports
Customers with returns
The reports provided for the above metrics list the customers who have the highest return value, value return rate, return orders, order return rate, return item quantity and item return rate. You can also export the data by clicking Export.
The report provides insights into:
- Customer: Identifies the specific customer associated with the return via customer’s email.
- Return value: The total value of items that the customer has returned. This is calculated based on the product prices, excluding any shipping costs.
- Order value: The total value of all orders placed by the customer.
- Value return rate: The percentage of the customer's total order value that has been returned.
- Orders with returns: The number of orders placed by the customer that include returned items.
- Total orders: The total number of orders placed by the customer.
- Order return rate: The percentage of the customer’s orders that include returns.
- Return quantity: The total number of items returned by the customer.
- Total items sold: The total number of items purchased by the customer.
- Item return rate: the percentage of items returned by the customer compared to the total item purchased.
Use cases
- Track the effectiveness of your return policy: By analyzing the Retained Revenue Ratio, you can assess how much value your return policy is retaining through exchanges and store credits rather than issuing refunds.
- Optimize return costs: Monitor Return Label Costs to ensure your return shipping policies are cost-efficient.
- Identify high-risk products: If a product has a high Return Rate, it may indicate quality issues, inaccurate descriptions, or customer dissatisfaction.
- Increase revenue through exchanges: By optimizing your return policy to encourage exchanges, businesses can generate more revenue with upsells rather than issuing refunds.
- Identify high-risk customers: Track customers who frequently return products. These insights can help flag potentially problematic customers.
FAQs
Q1. Can I see the returns for a specific product variant?
Yes, you can filter return data by variant title in the Product dashboard.
Q2. Can I export the return data?
Yes, you can export the return data to an email address if the Export option is available. This option appears when a particular metric is expanded.
Q3. What types of return statuses are included in the analytics data?
Only returns marked as Approved or Resolved are included in the analytics data.
Q4. Does the return value include shipping costs?
No, the return value is based only on the product prices and does not include any shipping costs associated with the return.
Q5. How does the dashboard handle stores that use multiple currencies?
For stores with multiple currencies, the analytics dashboard will automatically convert return values based on the latest exchange rates. This ensures that all data is presented in your store’s default currency.
For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team or reach out to us at support+returns@aftership.com.
Updated on: 15/04/2025