Some Kohl’s Stores Will Start Accepting Amazon Returns Next Month

Here’s the thing about online purchases and in-store returns: If you drive to the store to return your online purchase you might get your refund more quickly, but there’s a good chance you’ll stick around and buy something else. Kohl’s already offers this option, but the chain is upping its game, allowing customers to return their Amazon purchases to some of its bricks-and-mortar stores.

Kohl’s announced today that starting next month 82 stores in Chicago and Los Angeles will begin accepting Amazon returns.

Once customers arrive at the store they can park in designated Amazon Return parking spots, walk into the store, and drop off their unpackaged Amazon returns. Kohl’s will then package the items and ship them back to Amazon’s return center.

You won’t be able to return everything you buy on Amazon to Kohl’s, though. Instead, the retailer says only select merchandise will be accepted.

It’s unclear what products are eligible for the service. Consumerist has reached out to Amazon and Kohl’s for additional details, we’ll update this post if we hear back.

“This is a great example of how Kohl’s and Amazon are leveraging each other’s strengths – the power of Kohl’s store portfolio and omnichannel capabilities combined with the power of Amazon’s reach and loyal customer base,” Richard Schepp, Chief Administrative Officer, said in a statement.

Another Option

The new return option appears to be Amazon’s way of increasing convenience for customers who want their returns completed more quickly.

As it stands, Amazon offers several options when customers need to return products. You can drop the package off at the post office or UPS store, or you could arrange for someone to pick it up from your home.

However, in many of these cases — and depending on the product in question — a return might not be processed until the product is received by Amazon or the third-party who sold it. This could leave customers waiting days, if not weeks for the return to be complete and a refund to be issued.

By allowing returns at Kohl’s stores, Amazon could be cutting this window significantly. Consumerist has reached out to Amazon about the return process and wait time for refunds. We’ll update this post when we hear back.