Reverse Logistics: Understanding slab returns in your stone business
Have you ever had a customer return a stone slab, maybe because the color wasn’t quite right, or the measurements were a little off? Or perhaps some tiles came back from a job site?
This week, we move forward with our monthly theme about Inventory Management.
💡When products start moving backwards – from your customers or the end-user, all the way back to your shop, supplier, or the original manufacturer – that’s what we call Reverse Logistics.
This broad process isn’t just about simple customer returns; it includes everything from taking back products for repairs, to refurbishing them to look like new, recycling materials, or even properly disposing of items that can’t be reused.
For stone businesses, it’s about reclaiming any possible value from a product, no matter its condition. This whole area has become much bigger and more complex recently, especially with more people buying things online and expecting easy, free returns.
1. Return rates in the United States:
According to data from Capital Shopping, updated on May 6, 2025:
- The average retail return rate is 24.5% for eCommerce and 8.71% for in-store purchases.
- eCommerce or online sales returns increased 39.2% from 2023 to 2024 while in-store returns increased 8.90%.
- 47.2% of retail return dollars are from items purchased in brick-and-mortar stores, while 52.8% of retail return dollars are from items purchased online.
And what is the result when we look at the return rates by age?
Older consumers return e-commerce purchases at a higher rate than younger generations.
- 17% of consumers born between 1997 and 2012 (commonly referred to as Gen Z) never return items purchased online.
- 45% of Gen Z consumers are more likely to return products purchased in-store; 21% are more likely to return products purchased online.
- 12% of consumers born between 1981 and 1996 (commonly referred to as Millennials) never return items purchased online.
- 30% of Millennial consumers are more likely to return products purchased in-store; 20% are more likely to return products purchased online.
- 13% of consumers born between 1965 and 1980 (commonly referred to as Gen X) never return items purchased online.
- 27% of Gen X consumers are more likely to return products purchased in-store; 15% are more likely to return products purchased online.
- 12% of consumers born between 1946 and 1964 (commonly referred to as Boomers) never return items purchased online.
- 26% of Boomer consumers are more likely to return products purchased in-store; 13% are more likely to return products purchased online.
With that in mind, you need to work on your Reverse Logistics.
Which of these generations are you most likely to sell to? Is your target market likely to return products?
The goals are clear: to get some value back from these products and to make sure your customers stay happy and continue to choose you for future needs.
💡Check your State on Capital Shopping’s return rates study. You might get surprised!
2. What happens when a product is returned?
First, it all starts with having a clear return policy: simple, understandable rules about how and when customers can return items.
Your Return Policy and Procedures (RPP) should guide both your staff and your customers.
For example, if a customer is returning a granite slab, they need to know what they can and can’t do, and what the exact steps are.
These clear procedures also cover handling things like products that were leased to a customer and are now being returned, or even dealing with issues with product packaging that comes back.
Second, you have to manage the transportation of that returned product.
How does that large slab or a batch of tiles get from the customer’s home or the job site back to your yard?
This could involve you arranging a pickup, or the customer being responsible for bringing it back.
This step is also crucial for things like dealing with unsold goods that might need to be sent back to a supplier, managing surplus goods and materials that you no longer need, or even handling materials that had delivery issues and need to come back.
Finally, once the product is back, you have to process it. This involves a careful quality control check.
Is the slab still in perfect condition, and can it be immediately resold as a finished good? Or perhaps it has a small chip and needs to be repaired or refurbished?
Sometimes, a product might even go through remanufacturing, like taking a large returned slab and recutting or refining it into smaller, perfectly usable remnants for smaller projects. If the item is damaged beyond repair, then the process involves properly recycling the material or disposing of it responsibly.
This processing step is vital for reclaiming as much value as possible from the returned item.
3. Now let’s talk about why Returns can be tricky for your business
One of the biggest concerns that business owners have when dealing with Returns is cost control.
Think about it: moving products twice (once to the customer, once back to you), carefully checking their quality, and then potentially repairing or re-working them – all of that adds up and directly impacts your profits.
It’s also tricky to maintain customer satisfaction throughout the return process. No one truly enjoys returning something, and a slow, complicated, or unclear return experience can easily upset a customer, making them choose a competitor next time.
If you’re dealing with too many unhappy customers lately or have been there before, we suggest you read this post about 7 tips to deal with unhappy customers and how to make them happier.
Getting back to the topic, another major challenge is dealing with unpredictable inventory flows: you never know exactly when or how many slabs, pieces, or other materials will come back.
This makes it really hard to manage your existing stock, know what you truly have available for new orders, and accurately plan for future sales. This unpredictability can mess with your overall inventory levels.
That is why using good software, such as SlabWare, to manage your inventory is essential for a healthy stone business.
And how do I handle Returns better?
So, how can you make this whole reverse logistics process smoother, more efficient, profitable, and even cut down on how many products come back to you in the first place?
And the big question: Is there a way to get profit from improving it?
First, improve how you communicate about your products: go beyond basic description of your slabs.
Make sure customers see accurate photos, understand precise measurements, and are fully aware of any unique features, natural variations, or potential limitations of the stone before they make a purchase.
💡 Providing all the right information helps avoid surprises and reduces returns due to misunderstandings or delivery issues.
Second, strengthen your quality control before shipping.
Double-check those finished countertops or cut pieces of stone, and make sure any packaged materials are perfectly sound before they ever leave your shop: a careful, final inspection can catch problems early, before they ever reach the customer’s site.
Next, it’s wise to optimize your demand forecasting and inventory levels: if you’re better at predicting what customers will actually buy, you’ll order and stock more accurately.
This means you’ll have less leftover stock that might eventually become unsold goods or need to be returned, cutting down on extra costs and improving efficiency.
It’s also crucial to establish very clear return policies in all your contracts or agreements.
Make sure the customer understands the rules about returns, including any fees or conditions, right from the start. This prevents misunderstandings, arguments, and problems later on, ensuring a smoother process for everyone.
Lastly, and very importantly, analyze your return data. Don’t just process returns; learn from them.
Why are products being returned? Is it always a specific type of stone, a certain kind of cut, or perhaps recurring delivery issues? Write that down and look for coincidences!
By understanding the root causes, you can adjust your internal processes – whether it’s changing how you prepare a slab, how you package it, or how you explain its features – to stop those problems from happening again.
And when the returns come broken?
If your returns come broken, you can treat them as the leftovers of other projects. Ever wondered what happens to the leftover parts of a big stone slab after they cut it for a kitchen counter?
Well, those useful parts are called remnants (or sometimes just “leftovers”, or “partial slabs”). They’re not bad pieces, nope! They’re just the bits that are left after a bigger job.
The best part? Since they’re smaller, they cost way less! It’s a great way to get nice, good-quality stone without spending a ton of money.
Why are Remnants a smart idea?
Picking these leftover stone pieces is a really smart move for a few reasons:
First, you save real money.
Imagine a young couple just bought their first apartment. They dream of a bathroom with a fancy granite countertop for their sink, but a whole new slab is too expensive. By looking at remnants, they find a beautiful piece of granite, exactly the right size for their small bathroom vanity, at a fraction of the cost. Now their bathroom looks super classy without emptying their wallet!
Remnants often sell for a big discount – sometimes you can pay up to 25% less than for a whole new slab! So, you can get that pretty marble or fancy quartz for a small project without breaking the bank. It’s a smart way to get good stone for cheap.
💡Sometimes you pay up to 25% less on a remnant when compared to a whole new slab.
Second, using remnants is good for our planet. When you pick these leftover pieces, you help cut down on waste in the stone business. Instead of good material being thrown away, it gets a new life in your home. It’s a choice that helps the Earth!
Third, every remnant is one-of-a-kind. Since they come from different big slabs, they all have their own sizes, patterns, and colors. This lets you make things that nobody else has, giving your home a special touch.
💡By looking into remnants, you might even find a super rare or expensive stone that you couldn’t afford otherwise!
Last, remnants are usually ready to go right away. They’re often already at the stone yard, so you pick your piece and start your project much faster than waiting for a new, big slab to be ordered and delivered.
Fun ways to use your Remnants
You’d be surprised how many cool things you can make with these useful stone remnants!
For your bathroom, remnants are often the perfect size for vanity tops in small bathrooms or guest bathrooms. They make it look fancy without costing a lot. You can also use them for pretty shower walls or even cut them into small tiles for cool floor and wall designs.
In the kitchen or bar area, remnants are great for smaller jobs. Think small counters for your coffee maker, a little island top, a sleek bar counter, or nice backsplashes to protect your walls. Smaller pieces can even become elegant cutting boards or trays for serving snacks.
Picture someone building a new bar in their home. Instead of one plain stone, they find three different, smaller remnants – a dark granite, a lighter marble, and a piece with cool speckles. By putting them together, they create a unique, mosaic-like bar top that no one else has. It truly makes their bar special!
Even in other parts of the house, remnants are super handy! They make a beautiful back for a fireplace, making your room look super elegant. They’re also perfect for covering coffee tables, side tables, or even making an old desk look brand new with a stone top. And don’t forget window sills made of stone – they’ll hold up great to sun and spills.
Even tiny bits of quartz, which is tough and handles heat, chips, and stains well, can be turned into useful things like decorative trays and hot pads for pots. Bigger leftover pieces can even become cool stepping stones for your garden or unique floor patterns in rooms like your laundry room.
Imagine a little garden path that’s just dirt. You get a few oddly shaped, flat stone remnants. By placing them carefully, you now have a charming, natural-looking path through your flowers.
There are many uses for them!
If you want to convince your customer, send him this part! Shopping for Remnants is fun, and here are some tips:
Finding the perfect remnant is part of the fun! Here are some tips to make your shopping easy and successful:
First, always call the stone yard or shop ahead of time and ask what remnants they have.
Ask what kind of granite remnants they have that are big enough for your bathroom sink. This way, you don’t waste time looking through pieces that won’t work.
Their stock changes fast, so what’s there today might be gone tomorrow. It is good to book in advance as much as possible, so you can have someone to assist you.
Second, always bring exact measurements for your project. Measure everything carefully! Knowing the right size you need will help you find the piece faster.
💡Always measure your spaces before looking into remnants. Knowing the right size is essential!
Third, go with an open mind and be flexible. Since remnants are leftovers, the sizes, colors, and types of stone they have will be different. You might not find the exact stone you first thought of, but you could find something even better!
Be open to different colors, patterns, thicknesses, or how the edges are finished.
Lastly, when you’re at the stone yard, take your time to look closely at the piece. Check the color, the exact size, the thickness, and if any edges are already done. And the most important: look carefully for any cracks, chips, or flaws that might cause problems later.
Important limitations to remember
While remnants are awesome, there are a few things to keep in mind.
They usually won’t work for super big projects, like a whole large kitchen counter, because you might not find a piece big enough or enough matching pieces.
Also, making patterns match can be tricky if you need more than one piece, because even stones of the same type can have different colors and patterns.
And remember, the stock is limited and always changing, so if you see something you really like, don’t wait too long to decide!
And what about the benefits?
Choosing remnant stone pieces isn’t just a trend; it’s a smart and good decision for your home or business. It helps you:
- Save a lot of money: Get great quality for much less.
- Help the environment: Cut down on waste and be more eco-friendly.
- Create unique things: Give your spaces a special touch that’s just yours.
So, next time you’re thinking about a stone project, big or small, talk to a pro at your local stone shop and ask about their remnants. You might just find the perfect piece to make your dream project happen!
The right tool to manage your Remnants
SlabWare is the tool you need to sell your Remnants. You can easily register the pieces you have in your inventory, and they will automatically appear on your online shop.
With SlabWare, you can also manage your returns and have everything register and ready to be instantly consulted.
It doesn’t matter if your customers have received the slabs or not, or if they have paid or not. You can return the slabs and products in the system and automatically get them back to your inventory.
Check out this video of how easy it is to return slabs and issue a credit memo for your customers:
SlabWare is the easiest and most complete tool to manage your stone inventory – and it has been designed specifically FOR the stone industry.
Try SlabWare for free now or contact our team at info@slabware.com.