This article will answer frequently asked questions about warehouses and will cover the implications of changing your warehouse location. It will also detail how to utilize the Shipping Items Report for useful insights into the progress of packages that are being sent to your warehouse(s).
To see more information on warehouses, check out the FAQ: International Shipping & International Warehouses article.
What should I know before changing my warehouse location?
Let's say Warehouse A is your current warehouse and Warehouse B is the new warehouse you want to use moving forward. Shoppers with RMAs generated before the date and time your location address is changed in settings will have labels associated with warehouse A. Existing shipping labels will not be altered retroactively for shoppers who had RMAs generated any time before the setting was updated with the Warehouse B address. Warehouse B's address will only appear on labels after you save the address in settings and hit Publish. If you do not hit publish, this will not take effect and this address will not be reflected on labels.
There may be a time when you want to focus on Warehouse B for all returns moving forward in the future but still need to be able to receive items at Warehouse A.
Shoppers will not be alerted about a warehouse address change, they will just use whatever shipping label was given to them at the time they received the automated Shipping Info email with their custom shipping label.
In general, ReturnLogic does not recommend sending shoppers a second shipping label unless it's a special situation or it is really imperative to do so. Sending multiple shipping labels can cause confusion for shoppers.
If your shopper's existing shipping label says Warehouse A but you want the shopper to have a label with Warehouse B, you can either generate a label outside of ReturnLogic and send it, or delete and re-create the RMA. It is important to note that the original label will not be voided automatically. To void a label, you will need to get in touch with your shipping provider.
What happens if I save vs publish my new warehouse address?
Saving the address will record the address on the page so that it will be there when you come back to the page. Other users will be able to see the address in settings as well.
Publishing the address makes it go live and thus immediately impacts any newly created RMAs that trigger the generation of a shipping label.
You can save or Publish as you like but updating the address will never work retroactively on existing RMAs with pre-generated labels. When a change is made in settings, it will be associated with a timestamp for the time and date the change was made.
What steps should I take before changing my warehouse location?
For many merchants, changing warehouse locations is about accurately anticipating packages at the current warehouse and optimally managing the timing of switching to the new location. Try to estimate your typical shopper's behavior when it comes to returning as this will help you plan a timeline for switching. You can use the Shipping Items Report to gather all of this data.
How can I use the Shipping Items Report to anticipate return shipments?
You can use the Shipping Items Report to:
See where shoppers are sending items from
See what returns are not yet at the completed status
Total how many returns remain in transit
See what returns are at the authorized status but are not yet in transit
Sort, filter, or download the report for other insights
What is the best way to work with an outsourced warehouse team?
Book some time to talk to your ReturnLogic Customer Success Manager about your anticipated workflows and your plans for what tools and features your warehouse team will be using. We recommend speaking to your CSM before making any major decisions.
We're here to help! Email us at support@returnlogic.com or use the live chat inside the platform with any questions or feedback.