When a customer returns their products to Walmart, you would wonder what happens to the products. Do they get thrown away or is there another purpose for them in Walmart? Well, some of these products get resold, some thrown away.
Mostly, it depends on the condition of the product and what will happen to it. So if the returned product is in mint condition, then of course Walmart would try and resell it. Otherwise, the product would go into the hands of another seller or get thrown out.
What Happens When You Return Something At Walmart?
You must have bought stuff at Walmart too, even if you haven’t returned anything yet. People usually don’t return smaller things like groceries, but may return items like electronic devices, household items, and more.
If you have to return something at Walmart, you would need to take the item and its receipt there to be able to get it returned. Then the employee would check the condition of the product you have returned.
Once this process is over, the employee will take your product and give you a full or partial refund or exchange the item for you. But this process is only the beginning of the other procedures that follow after the return.
Do The Returned Items At Walmart Get Discarded?
Once you return an item, the quality check of the item can determine its future. According to the quality or condition of the item, it can either get resold in original packaging, resold through another dealer or discarded.
But no, not all returned items at Walmart get discarded, there are certain conditions for them. Items like undergarments are always discarded due to hygiene and they are never resold. Other items that come tampered with would most likely get discarded.
Since such products are not fit to get resold in, either way, they would get discarded by Walmart. But Walmart has tried its best to not let such discarded items get filled in landfills or waste areas and increase the waste.
Is It Ideal To Resell Or Repurpose Returned Walmart Goods?
Yes, it is generally ideal to repurpose or resell returned goods at Walmart. You might not be comfortable with taking something someone has already purchased and returned, but the quality control ensures that the product is perfect.
So you wouldn’t have to worry about the product being damaged since only perfect condition products get resold. If Walmart does not resell or repurpose their returned goods, many items would go to waste and occupy a lot of space.
Such wastage of food, clothing and other items would not be ideal if they could help someone else. So it is best to check the quality of the returned goods and resell them if they live up to the quality standards.
What Are The Parameters For Choosing What Happens To Returned Goods?
The first and most essential aspect that gets checked while inspecting returned goods is if it is damaged or not. If the item has any defects or problems, then Walmart cannot resell it. On the other hand, if the product has a minor defect or even variations, they could sell it to dealers.
These dealers would take huge inventories of returned goods at a wholesale rate and then sell the same at cheaper prices. It is a win-win situation for both parties and even the returned goods don’t go to waste.
And those goods that can’t get resold either way may also get donated to foundations if they are fit for use or consumption. It is another ideal way of avoiding wastage of the returned goods while helping the community.
Conclusion
Now that you know what happens to returns at Walmart, you would understand what happens to the good you or consumers return. The process of determining the future of a returned good is tedious.
And Walmart also has to bear losses just because of these returned products that get damaged since they can’t even resell them. But a large number of goods also get resold either at Walmart itself or through other dealers.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you receive returned goods at Walmart even as fresh items?
Yes, you might receive returned goods at the retail price since Walmart does not throw away all returned goods. If the item is not damaged or tampered with, then they would repackage and sell it again.
- Does Walmart sell its returned goods?
No, Walmart doesn’t necessarily sell all the returned goods that they receive. They would first inspect the condition of the goods and see if they will resell the goods, sell to other dealers or throw them away.
- If a returned good is damaged or tampered with, what happens to it?
If the returned good is not in the condition it got received in, then it would most likely get discarded. Since Walmart can no longer resell the goods, they would try to sell them to other dealers for cheaper or discard them altogether.
