N Brown Group

How N Brown’s returns experience has taken shape with ZigZag

A quick, professional implementation

ZigZag’s implementation process involves teams across our entire business to ensure retailers are set up as quickly and smoothly as possible. Our Implementations Team will work closely with the relevant teams in both your organisation and ours throughout the process.

Alex Blake stated, “Onboarding went remarkably well - the pace was extraordinary. We went live on time and on budget, in time for peak – something we were initially unsure would be possible. However, ZigZag reassured us over several thorough technical pre-sales consultancy meetings. As soon as we were ready to sign, they were ready to get started with the implementation process.

“The ZigZag team were incredibly helpful throughout the process and connected with the right people to keep things moving. This project has been a great example of what can happen when you choose the right partner. We’ve already exceeded our expectations and are excited to see what more we can achieve as we continue to unlock additional features.”

Hands-on Account Management

We take our account management seriously at ZigZag. Once you’re a customer, we want to keep and impress you. That means a dedicated Account Manager you can go to for guidance or assistance.​ Many ZigZag employees come from leading retailers, and they know firsthand the types of challenges you face. The best people to have in your corner.

David Reece-Pinchin remarked, “Our Account Manager and the rest of the ZigZag team have been great. Access to an Account Manager means issues are resolved quickly and opportunities are identified early. That level of support adds real value to our business and provides us with real confidence in what we were building together. It’s reassuring to know we have someone who understands our business and proactively looks after our needs.”

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Assisting with drop-ship vendors

As a clothing & footwear digital retail platform, N Brown works with a range of drop-ship vendors. Much like an online marketplace, that means N Brown needed a returns solution that could intelligently route products back to the right warehouse.

David Reece-Pinchin continued, “We needed a partner that could support both us and our vendors. ZigZag is able to send stock back directly to our drop-ship vendor warehouses without involving our own DCs or warehouses when appropriate. Our warehouses were double-handling stock, which adds a lot of additional costs from the labour and packaging needed to sort returned parcels, to the logistical cost of moving the items to multiple warehouses.

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Moving to a seamless digital portal

N Brown has retired its out-dated label-in-the box return method. By digitising the returns process, customers get a slicker experience that keeps them informed and updated. For N Brown’s warehouses and distribution centres, it’s a similar story: the entire supply chain gets complete visibility of who, what, where, when and why products are heading back.

The ZigZag platform has logic in place to ensure light and large products, that might require a different carrier, are routed correctly and to the ideal warehouse. David Reece-Pinchin stated, “Our customers are happy. The portal is simple and fast to use, we now offer a wide selection of carriers to choose from, and customers often don’t need a printer. Switching to the portal really been a massive step up

“The self-serve returns tracking and email notifications customers receive on the status of their return parcel as it transits back to our warehouse have already reduced the customer service calls. Not only does that help us reduce costs – a saving that we can pass on to the customer - but it means they’re far more likely to shop with us again.”

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Carrier flexibility for less

With over 1,500 carrier services and more than 500,000 drop-off points across over 170 countries, ZigZag is the most connected post purchase and returns solution in the world. N Brown previously offered just a single carrier solution for its UK customers, an aspect of their customer experience they were keen to change.

Alex Blake commented,

“ZigZag’s platform supports an impressive range of carrier services and return options, which is a significant advantage given the speed and scale at which we operate. Partnering with ZigZag enables us to deliver a faster, more transparent returns experience for our customers.
From a customer perspective, the change has been extremely positive. Customers now have far greater choice in how they return items – whether that’s via post, home collection, drop-off locations or lockers. It’s the first time we’ve been able to offer locker drop-offs, which is particularly exciting given how popular they’ve become in recent years.

We were also keen to launch with Royal Mail’s home collection and drop-off services through ZigZag, as it’s a trusted option that many of our customers already feel comfortable using.
ZigZag initially came recommended by one of our 3PL partners, so we already had confidence in the strength of its logistics network. On top of that, we’ve been pleased to benefit from the competitive carrier rates available through the platform.”

Smarter insights with ZigZag’s Returns Reporting Hub

Brands across the world have access to vast amounts of returns-related information, and through ZigZag’s returns platform, now have the access to readily surface insights that empower their business. For fashion and homeware companies selling online like N Brown, they will always have to deal with returns. By utilising ZigZag’s data reporting features, N Brown can now investigate why products are returning and identify areas they can tackle to reduce returns proactively.

David Reece-Pinchin, Head of Supply Chain Solutions at N Brown stated, “One of the main reasons we chose the ZigZag platform was to get better insights into the reasons for returns. It is hugely positive that we can now share the data across the business - and that we have confidence in that data. There is a massive opportunity for us to improve our retail business now we’ve got the tools to do so.”

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A sleek returns process

“We’ve had generally positive feedback around our returns process and the returns portal. The portal provides great visibility on why our customers are returning and we can use that data to improve in the future,

Supporting fast returns initiation

“Many of our customers want the fastest delivery possible, sometimes returning on the same day they receive the goods. We wanted a digital solution that would allow customers to begin the returns process immediately.”

Tracking and proactive communication

“The platform has fully supported tracking that keeps customers informed throughout the returns journey. This means fewer calls coming into our Customer Service Team asking about returns, which helps us to keep costs down.”

Paperless returns

We now offer paperless returns, allowing customers to simply use a QR code rather than needing to print a label. At the same time, we recognise that some customers still prefer the traditional approach, so we continue to offer print-at-home labels for those who want them.”