Dive Brief:

• Target Wednesday said it has revamped its return policy, effective immediately, to allow many of its store-branded items a full one-year window for returns.

• The retailer is also expanding the window for gift registries, expanding the return window from 90 days to a year after the event for which the gift was bought.

• The more generous new policy doesn’t apply to some items, including designer goods like apparel and handbags offered for short periods of time.

Dive Insight:

This is another move from Target, a surprise to many, that shows the retailer working to muscle its way back into consumers’ favor. It's a surprise in part because the company has also emphasized cost-cutting in recent months.  

But consumers love generous return policies. And because returns are one of the sticking points for many consumers who buy online, this move is also key to Target’s ongoing efforts to boost its e-commerce and smooth its omni-channel lines. Customers are growing to expect hassle-free returns for online orders, no matter what channel they choose to return them through.