About

Pashion Footwear is an innovative brand known for high heels that seamlessly transform into comfortable flats. Pashion has been celebrated for versatile designs that bridge the gap between style and functionality, appealing to modern women seeking adaptable footwear that adjusts to the hustle of everyday life.

Challenge

Pashion needed to handle returns and replacements without cutting into margins or impacting customer experience

As Pashion Footwear has grown in recent years, CEO Haley Pavone needed to address the rise in shipping mishaps that come with a higher volume of orders. She also wanted to maintain Pashion’s excellent customer service so they could focus on turning every buyer into a lifelong customer.

Historically, Pashion offered free returns using Loop. The automated system was efficient but made customers pay for labels, and any elevated claims fell back on Pashion’s internal team.

With projections showing 300% growth in the next year, Pashion needed a better returns solution. So, Haley set out to find a partner that would support the brand’s commitment to customer satisfaction while protecting the brand’s margins. She focused on two key scenarios:

1. Free returns and protections for in-transit delays: Haley recognized that she needed to motivate customers to purchase her innovative product. She knew free returns would allow customers to easily try their footwear. Haley also wanted to protect customers’ orders with top-tier post-purchase services without adding costs. Historically, scenarios like theft, loss, or shipping damage meant the footwear brand had to choose between shouldering the additional inventory cost and risking dissatisfied customers with a less favorable returns policy.
2. Added perks and incentives: Haley wanted to find a strong rewards program that would encourage customers to keep coming back to the site for purchases without cutting into Pashion’s bottom line.

It wasn’t until Haley found Onward that a solution checked both boxes.

“As a smaller business, we can’t afford to be liable for losses and damage in the shipping process, but not replacing items leads to a bad customer experience and further losses down the line.”

Solution

Benefit #1: Free returns and comprehensive package protection increased revenue and protected margins

Onward’s 90-day Satisfaction Guarantee ensures customers never settle for a product that doesn’t suit their needs. Customers have the option to send back any item at no additional cost. They can feel comfortable testing out Pashion’s innovative footwear, trying out any style or size without the fear of committing to the wrong item. With these free return perks, Pashion’s average order value and repeat purchases are up.

With Onward’s comprehensive shipping protection, Pashion Footwear has extended their impeccable customer service and easy returns to cover free replacements as well. In the rare instance that a customer’s order is delayed, damaged, or stolen in transit, Onward swiftly offers a replacement or reimbursement. When an order is replaced, Pashion Footwear keeps initial revenue from the sale, and the replacement order revenue, covered entirely by Onward, giving 2x the revenue for one purchase.

Now, customers can submit claims to a self-serve portal, and Onward handles the rest on Pashion’s behalf. And thanks to Onward’s seamless integration with Pashion’s tech stack, there’s no impact on customer experience. As a result, Pashion Footwear’s customer claims are handled faster than ever, strengthening customer relationships with minimal lift from Haley’s team.

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Benefit #2:  CashBack rewards boosted ROAS and customer retention

With Onward’s CashBack feature, Pashion Footwear incentivizes repeat purchases by rewarding repeat shoppers with 10% store credit every time they shop on their site. For instance, when a customer spends $200 on convertible heels or flats, they instantly receive $20 back to put toward their next order.

The comprehensive post-purchase protections initially attract customers, while the CashBack rewards program encourages them to keep coming back. With this program, Pashion Footwear has boosted their ROAS with minimal financial lift.

“Onward gives the customers — and us — confidence and reassurance that should something happen in transit, they’re going to get a replacement or a refund at no cost to us and no additional cost to them.”

Results

Pashion Footwear has 11.8x ROAS since partnering with Onward

With Onward’s comprehensive post-purchase offerings, Pashion Footwear is equipped to provide a top-tier customer experience on every order — no matter what unexpected issues may roll their way.

Within 10 months of implementing Onward’s programs, the majority of customers are opting in to the added services, and Haley reports a significant lift across key metrics:

“We’ve seen a 3% growth in our average order value and a 20% decrease in our return rate. As a result, a lot more customers are willing to buy at full price.”