Reverse Logistics: The Missing Piece in Fulfillment
Merchants often obsess over delivery—but what happens after delivery is where trust is made—or broken.
Returns and reverse logistics are still under-prioritized in MENA eCommerce. Brands invest in speed and packaging, but returns often become reactive afterthoughts, hurting margins, cluttering inventory, and damaging customer confidence.
MENA Market Snapshot: The Stakes Are High
- Up to 30% of online purchases in MENA are returned, costing the region around US $4 billion annually¹.
- 50% of regional shoppers say the ease of returns and refunds heavily influences their decision to rebuy or remain loyal².
- In Saudi Arabia, 29% of shoppers are frustrated by lack of free shipping—and that frustration rarely stops at delivery³.
These facts show why, today, fulfillment must go beyond delivery, it must guarantee confidence through easy and reliable returns.
The Returns Shortfall in MENA eCommerce
While many brands fine-tune delivery logistics, reverse processes lag behind:
Disconnected systems, unclear policies, and delayed processing generate friction among customers and internal teams.
With return volumes averaging 20–30% globally—and similarly high in MENA¹²—these inefficiencies become expensive in time, money, and reputation.
Why Easy Returns Are a Regional Imperative
Top MENA retailers are turning returns into a loyalty tool:
- Studies show half of MENA shoppers prioritize easy returns, often over price or speed³.
- In GCC markets, expectations for frictionless returns are rising alongside delivery demands.
- A straightforward return process = trust → repeat sales → stronger brand.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Returns
Skipping structured returns leads to:
- Hidden or long-winded policies
- Slow restocking that skews inventory
- Increased risk of return fraud
- Teams (ops/commercial/finance) operating without alignment
- Poor visibility into why customers return—limiting prevention efforts
Salasa’s Answer: Return Logistics Done Right
At Salasa, returns aren’t an afterthought, they’re fully integrated into your fulfillment suite.
Our solution delivers:
- A single contact for delivery and returns
- Unified SLAs across order flows
- Real-time tracking, scanning—even cross-border
- Policy guidance to set clear, customer-facing terms
- Exclusive returns for Salasa fulfillment clients, ensuring consistency and transparency
In short: easy, visible, scalable returns—with no guesswork.
What Real Return Strategy Looks Like
Winning MENA brands approach returns with intention and structure. They start by publishing clear, accessible return policies at checkout, ensuring transparency from the first customer interaction. Internally, they align SLAs across operations, finance, and commercial teams to avoid delays or confusion. They also define return criteria based on item type, condition, and reason to eliminate ambiguity.
Smart brands plan their reverse logistics flows at least two months ahead of peak seasons to prevent bottlenecks. Just as importantly, they partner with a single provider who manages both delivery and returns to ensure consistency, control, and full visibility across the customer journey.
The goal isn’t to eliminate returns, it’s to control them well.
Close the Loop—with Confidence
In MENA, where up to 30% of orders are returned and 50% of consumers weight return policies heavily⁴:
Delivering without easy returns is delivering half a service.
At Salasa, we bridge that gap, closing the loop with a returns experience that’s easy to use, seamless to manage, and backed by operational integrity.
The missing piece? Here it is. Let’s put it in place.
Sources
- Dubai Chamber, via Logistics Middle East – “E-commerce returns costing MENA billions annually”; “Return rates in MENA mirror global 20–30% averages”
- Al Arabiya English – “50% of Gulf consumers say return ease drives loyalty”
- Images Retail ME – “29% of Saudi shoppers are frustrated by lack of free shipping and flexible returns”
- Al Arabiya English – “Total refund requires managing the growing issue of e-commerce returns in MENA”