Skip to main content

Returns Reports Guide

Updated

Returns reports help you analyze return patterns, identify problematic products, monitor return costs, and understand customer return behavior. This guide covers all 4 returns reports available in Pulse Commerce, explaining what each report does, when to use it, and the key business decisions it supports.

Before You Begin: All Returns reports are Advanced reports (updated every 24 hours) with full customization capabilities including filtering, grouping, sorting, and custom column management. See Understanding Reports in Pulse Commerce for report features and export options.
📦 Product-Level Return Analysis

Returns Item Summary Report

Navigation: Reports > Returns Item Summary

The Returns Item Summary report provides item-level analysis of product returns, showing which specific SKUs are being returned most frequently and their associated financial impact. This report enables merchants to identify return patterns by individual products and understand the cost implications of returns across their inventory.

Key columns: SKU, Product Name, # of Returns, # of Units, Amount, Average Cost, Average Price, Product Category, Product Type, Mfg. Name, Vendor, Vendor SKU, Preferred Location, Weight, UPC Code

When to Use This Report

  • Identify problematic products - Spot items with high return rates indicating quality issues
  • Calculate return financial impact - Understand which returns cause greatest revenue loss
  • Analyze returns by category - Identify trends across product lines or manufacturers
  • Optimize inventory purchasing - Address supplier quality concerns with vendors
  • Improve product descriptions - Reduce future returns by setting accurate expectations
  • Track return costs by location - Understand fulfillment and shipping cost impacts
Quality Control Tip: Sort by # of Returns (descending) and filter for # of Units greater than 5. These are your most frequently returned products requiring immediate investigation for quality issues or misleading descriptions.
📅 Time-Based Return Analysis

Returns Daily Summary Report

Navigation: Reports > Returns Daily Summary

The Returns Daily Summary report provides a comprehensive daily breakdown of customer return activity, tracking both the volume and financial impact of returns processed each day. It delivers essential metrics including return quantities, values, associated costs, and profitability impacts to help merchants understand their daily return patterns and financial implications.

Key columns: Date, # of Returns, # of Units, Avg. Return Value, Gross Return Amount, Restocking Fee, Shipping Cost, Tax, COGS, Total Discounts

When to Use This Report

  • Monitor return trends and patterns - Identify peak return periods and seasonal fluctuations
  • Assess financial impact - Analyze true cost of returns on daily revenue
  • Optimize return policies and fees - Evaluate if restocking fees offset processing expenses
  • Identify operational efficiency opportunities - Pinpoint days when return handling becomes unprofitable
  • Support cash flow planning - Forecast daily revenue adjustments from returns
  • Benchmark return performance - Measure metrics against previous periods
Seasonal Analysis: Compare current week returns to the same week last year using date comparison features. Significant increases may indicate product quality issues or marketing misalignment.
👥 Customer Return Behavior Analysis

Returns Customer Summary Report

Navigation: Reports > Returns Customer Summary

The Returns Customer Summary report provides a comprehensive view of customer return patterns by aggregating return activity at the customer level. This report helps merchants identify which customers are generating the most returns and understand the financial impact of returns on a per-customer basis, enabling targeted customer service and business optimization strategies.

Key columns: Customer Name, # of Returns, # of Units, Gross Return Amount, COGS, Restocking Fee, Shipping Cost, Tax, Avg. Return Value, Last Return Date, Customer Group Name, Gender, Email, Phone, Loyalty Points

When to Use This Report

  • Identify high-return customers - Flag customers who may need additional support or guidance
  • Analyze return profitability impact - Understand true cost of returns per customer
  • Segment customers for targeted communication - Create customized retention campaigns
  • Track return frequency patterns - Identify customers with recurring return issues
  • Calculate customer return rates - Compare return behavior against spending patterns
  • Optimize customer service resources - Prioritize follow-up with high-value returners
Customer Education Opportunity: Group by Customer Group Name and filter for # of Returns greater than 3. These customers may benefit from personalized sizing guides, product recommendations, or shopping assistance to reduce future returns.
🔍 Detailed RMA Transaction Analysis

RMA Analysis Report

Navigation: Reports > RMA Analysis

The RMA Analysis report provides comprehensive tracking and management of customer return merchandise authorizations (RMAs), including financial details, processing status, and customer communication history. This report enables merchants to monitor the complete returns lifecycle from initial RMA creation through final resolution and payment processing.

Key columns: RMA #, RMA Status, Payment Status, Customer Name, Customer Email, Sales Rep, Return Reason, RMA Date, Expiration Date, RMA Total, Handling/Restocking Fee, Total Amount Paid, Total Amount Due, PO Tax, Sales Channel, Alternate Id, Created From Order Number, Emailed To Customer, Emailed By

When to Use This Report

  • Track return processing efficiency - Monitor status and identify bottlenecks
  • Analyze return patterns and costs - Identify product quality issues or policy optimization
  • Manage customer service quality - Review assignments and communication tracking
  • Monitor financial impact of returns - Track payments, fees, and processing costs
  • Ensure compliance and follow-up - Track expiration dates to maintain customer satisfaction
  • Analyze channel-specific return trends - Identify which channels generate higher returns
Processing Priority Alert: Filter for RMA Status "Open" or "Pending" and sort by RMA Date (ascending) to identify the oldest unprocessed returns requiring immediate attention.
💡 Common Returns Reporting Scenarios

Scenario: Identifying Products for Quality Review

Goal: Find products with unusually high return rates that may have quality issues or misleading descriptions.

1Open Returns Item Summary report for the last 90 days

2Sort by # of Returns (descending) to see most frequently returned items

3Add a filter for # of Units greater than 5 to focus on significant patterns

4Export to Excel and calculate return rate (# of Units returned / total units sold)

5Cross-reference with RMA Analysis grouped by Return Reason to understand why products are being returned

6Contact vendors for products with quality issues or update product descriptions for items with expectation mismatches

Scenario: Monthly Return Cost Analysis

Goal: Calculate the true cost of returns including restocking fees, shipping, and lost revenue.

1Run Returns Daily Summary for the previous calendar month

2Add Sum aggregates to Gross Return Amount, Restocking Fee, Shipping Cost, and COGS columns

3Calculate net return cost: (Gross Return Amount + Shipping Cost + COGS) - Restocking Fee

4Compare to previous month to identify trends

5Create custom report with "Previous Month" date preset for recurring monthly analysis

Profitability Insight: If net return cost exceeds 5% of gross sales, review return policies, product quality, or description accuracy to reduce return rates.

Scenario: Customer Service Priority List

Goal: Identify customers requiring proactive outreach due to frequent or high-value returns.

1Open Returns Customer Summary report for the last 6 months

2Filter for # of Returns greater than or equal to 3

3Sort by Gross Return Amount (descending) to prioritize high-value returners

4Export customer contact information (Email, Phone) for outreach

5Create personalized outreach campaign offering sizing assistance, product recommendations, or dedicated customer service support

Scenario: Return Reason Analysis for Policy Optimization

Goal: Understand why customers are returning products to optimize return policies and reduce future returns.

1Open RMA Analysis report for the previous calendar quarter

2Group by Return Reason to aggregate all returns by reason code

3Add Count aggregate to RMA # column to see total returns per reason

4Add Sum aggregate to RMA Total to calculate financial impact per reason

5Identify top 3 return reasons and develop targeted solutions:

  • "Wrong size/fit" - Add size guides, fit videos, or virtual try-on features
  • "Product not as described" - Improve product descriptions, add more photos, include customer reviews
  • "Defective/damaged" - Work with vendors on quality improvements or switch suppliers
Policy Optimization: Save this as a custom report and run it quarterly to track whether policy changes are reducing returns in targeted categories.

Video Tutorial: Returns Analysis Report

Video Tutorial: Returns Daily Summary Report

Video Tutorial: Returns Item Summary Report

Essential Reading:

Other Report Guides:

Related Workflows:

Related articles