Where do your online returns go? | Aparna Mehta

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Hoi Fei (Belinda) Cheung

Hi. My name is Aparna.

嗨，我是阿芭納，

I am a shopaholic --

我是購物狂——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

and I'm addicted to online returns.

且我「線上退貨」成癮。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Well, at least I was.

至少曾經是。

At one time, I had two or three packages of clothing delivered to me

有一段時間，我每隔一天

就會收到兩、三個包裏。

every other day.

I would intentionally buy the same item

同樣的商品我會故意買好幾件，

in a couple different sizes and many colors,

買不同的尺寸和許多顏色，

because I did not know what I really wanted.

因為我不確定我真正想要什麼。

So I overordered, I tried things on, and then I sent what didn't work back.

所以我會多訂來試穿， 再把我覺得不理想的退回去。

Once my daughter was watching me return some of those packages back,

有一次我女兒看著我 把其中一些包裏退回，

and she said, "Mom, I think you have a problem."

她說：「媽，我認為你有問題。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I didn't think so.

我不覺得。畢竟寄送都是 免運費的，退貨也是免費。

I mean, it's free shipping and free returns, right?

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I didn't even think twice about it,

我完全沒有多想，

until I heard a statistic at work that shocked me.

直到我在工作時聽到一個 讓我很吃驚的統計數字。

You see, I'm a global solutions director for top-tier retail,

我的工作是高層級零售的 全球解決方案主管，

and we were in a meeting with one of my largest customers,

我們正在和最大的客戶之一開會，

discussing how to streamline costs.

討論如何減低成本。

One of their biggest concerns was managing returns.

他們最關心的議題之一， 就是退貨的管理。

Just this past holiday season alone,

單單上一個假日季節 （感恩節至新年），

they had 7.5 million pieces of clothing returned to them.

就有七百五十萬件衣物

退回給他們。

I could not stop thinking about it.

我一直思考

What happens to all these returned clothes?

這些被退回的衣物， 會被如何處理？

So I came home and researched.

所以我回到家就做了研究。

And I learned that every year,

我發現，每年，

four billion pounds of returned clothing ends up in the landfill.

有四十億磅被退回的衣物

最後是到了掩埋場。

That's like every resident in the US did a load of laundry last night

等於差不多是美國每一位居民

昨晚都洗了一籃髒衣服，

and decided to throw it in the trash today.

然後決定今天 把那些衣服丟到垃圾筒。

I was horrified.

我嚇壞了。

I'm like, "Of all people,

我心想：「我比所有人 都更應該要來預防這件事。」

I should be able to help prevent this."

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

My job is to find solutions to logistical issues like these --

我的工作是為這種物流議題 找到解決方案——

not create them.

而不是創造問題。

So this issue became very personal to me.

所以，這個議題對我來說 有很私人的意義。

I said, "You know what? We have to solve this."

我說：「你們知道嗎？ 我們得解決這個問題。」

And we can, with some of the existing systems we already have in place.

用一些已經就續的既有系統， 我們是可以解決它的。

And then I started to wonder: How did we get here?

接著，我開始納悶： 我們是怎麼走到這一步的？

I mean, it was only like six years ago when a study recommended

我的意思是，有一項研究建議， 提供線上購物免費退貨

that offering free online returns would drive customers to spend more.

可以驅使客戶消費更多， 這不過是六年前的事。

We started seeing companies offering free online returns

我們開始看見有公司提供 線上購物的免費退貨，

to drive more sales and provide a better experience.

來帶動更多銷售， 並提供更好的購物體驗。

What we didn't realize

我們沒有料到，

is that this would lead to more items being returned as well.

這也會造成更多物品被退回。

In the US, companies lost $351 billion in sales

在美國，單單在 2017 年，

公司的銷售額就損失了 3510 億美金。

in 2017 alone.

Retailers are scrambling to recover their losses.

零售商拼命在想辦法 賺回它們的損失。

They try to place that returned item online to be sold again,

它們試著把被退貨的商品 重新上架銷售，

or they'll sell it to a discount partner

或是賣給折扣夥伴 或清算公司資產的人。

or a liquidator.

Basically, if companies cannot find a place for this item

基本上，如果公司無法很快且經濟地

quickly and economically,

為這些退貨商品找到去處，

its place becomes the trash.

它們就會變成垃圾。

Suddenly, I felt very guilty for being that shopper,

身為這種購物者， 我突然很有罪惡感，

somebody who contributes to this.

我也是造成這現象的人之一。

Who would have thought my innocent shopping behavior

誰會知道，我天真的購物行為，

would be hurting not only me,

不僅會傷害到我，

but our planet as well?

還會傷害到我們的地球？

And as I thought about what to do,

當我在想該怎麼做時，

I kept thinking:

我不斷思考：

Why does the item have to be returned to the retailer in the first place?

起初為什麼決定退貨的商品 要送回到零售商那裡呢？

What if there was another way,

是否可能有什麼方式，

a win-win for everyone?

能讓大家都是贏家？

What if when a person is trying to return something,

是不是可以考慮， 當一個人打算退貨時，

it could go to the next shopper who wants it,

商品可以送到下一個 想要購買它的購物者，

and not the retailer?

而不是送回零售商？

What if, instead of a return,

是不是可以考慮，不要做退貨，

they could do what I call a "green turn"?

改做我所謂的「綠色轉讓」？

Consumers could use an app to take pictures of the item

消費者可以裝一個應用程式， 拍攝商品的照片，

and verify the condition while returning it.

並在退貨的時候驗證商品的狀況。

Artificial intelligence systems could then sort these clothes by condition --

人工智慧系統接著可以依據 衣物的狀況來將它們分類——

mint condition or slightly used --

全新或是稍微使用過——

and direct it to the next appropriate person.

將它導向下一個適當的客人？

Mint-condition clothes could automatically go to the next buyer,

全新的衣物可以 自動發送給下一個買家，

while slightly used clothes could be marked down

而稍微使用過的衣物可以打個折，

and offered online again.

再放上網銷售。

The retailer can decide the business rules

零售商可以定下商業規則，

on the number of times a particular item can be resold.

決定一件商品可以 被重新銷售的次數。

All that the consumer would need to do is obtain a mobile code,

消費者只需要取得一個行動碼，

take it to the nearest shipping place to be packed and shipped,

把商品帶到最近的購物地點 做包裝和寄送，

and off it goes from one buyer to the next,

商品就可以從買家 轉到下一個買家，

not the landfill.

而不用送到掩埋場。

Now you will ask,

你會問：

"Would people really go through all this trouble?"

「大家真的願意做這麼麻煩的事嗎？」

I think they would if they had incentives,

我想，如果有誘因， 他們就會願意，

like loyalty points or cash back.

比如集點或是現金回饋。

Let's call it "green cash."

姑且把它稱為「綠色現金」。

There would be a whole new opportunity to make money

這就會形成一個全新的商機，

from this new customer base looking to buy these returns.

可以從這些想買被退回之 商品的新客源身上賺錢。

This system would make a fun thing like shopping

這個系統就能夠把 像購物這種有趣的事，

a spiritual experience

變成一種靈性的體驗，

that helps save our planet.

來協助拯救我們的地球。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

This is doable

這是可行的，可能要 花六個月的時間

and would probably take six months to weave some of our existing systems

來將我們既有的系統 結合並做測試。

and run a pilot.

Even before any of these logistical systems are in place,

甚至，在這些物流系統就緒之前，

each of us shoppers can act now,

我們每一位購物者 現在就可以行動，

if every single adult in the US made a few small changes

美國的每一位成人都能 在我們的購物行為上

作出幾個小改變。

to our shopping behavior.

Take the extra time to research and think --

我們要額外花一點時間 來研究和思考——

Do I really need this item?

我真的需要這件商品嗎？

No: Do I really want this item? --

不：我真的想要這件商品嗎？——

before making a purchase.

在購買之前就先思考。

And if every one of us adults in the US

如果美國的每一位成人

returned five less items this year,

今年退回的商品數量減少五件，

we would keep 240 million pounds of clothes out of the landfill.

被送去掩埋場的衣物

就能減少 2 億 4000 萬磅。

Six percent reduction, just like that.

光這樣，就能減少 6%。

This environmental problem that we have created

我們所造成的這個環境問題，

is not thousands of years away;

並不是幾千年後才會發生；

it's happening today,

它正在發生， 且現在就必須要停下來，

and must stop now to prevent growing landfills across the globe.

以預防全球廢物掩埋量持續成長。

I want to leave my daughter and my daughter's daughter

我想要留給我女兒， 以及我女兒的女兒，

a better and cleaner place than I found it,

一個比我現在身處 還要更好、更乾淨的地方，

so I have not only stopped overordering,

所以我不只停止了多訂貨的行為，

I recycle religiously as well.

還虔誠地在做回收。

And you can, too. It's not difficult.

你們也可以。這並不難。

Before we fill our shopping carts and our landfills

在我們用不想要的 額外商品把購物車

with extra items that we don't want,

以及掩埋場塞滿之前，

let's pause next time we are shopping online

下一次上網購物時要記得停下來，

and think twice about what we all hopefully really do want:

想一想，我們所有人 其實真正想要的

a beautiful Earth to call home.

是一個美麗的地球家園。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）