Retail stores need to have several key legal policies in place, whether they operate solely as physical stores or also have an online/ecommerce presence. At a minimum, stores should have a privacy policy, terms and conditions, and return/refund policy. These policies can be provided to customers online and in-store using links on websites and receipts. Common policies include privacy policies that specify how customer data is collected and used, terms that outline the relationship between the store and customers, and return policies that describe return and refund procedures. Having these important legal policies helps protect the business and inform customers.

1. Legal policies
for
retail stores

2. While online shopping is more popular (1) than ever these days and is
showing no sign of slowing down, physical retail stores are still an
important and integral part of our shopping experience.
If you operate a retail store where you're selling physical items to
the public, either in person or via an ecommerce website as well,
you'll need a series of legal agreements in place.
Online stores can accomplish this by including links to their legal
agreements on their websites and within their mobile apps.
(1) https://termsfeed.com/blog/how-return-policy-affect-customer-retention/

3. Note how Apple (2) includes numerous links to a range of its legal
agreements within the footer section of its web pages:
(2) http://www.apple.com/

4. Retail stores may encounter customers who ask a sales associate
or other in-person store employee for some legal information while
shopping, such as what the store’s return policy is (3), or what the
payment terms are when paying with a store credit card versus
cash.
If you don’t want to have an ecommerce store where users can shop
for your goods online, you can still create a simple website solely for
hosting the legal agreements and sharing them with your shoppers
who may wish to read them.
(3) https://termsfeed.com/blog/sample-return-policy-ecommerce-stores/

5. List of legal policies for stores
Regardless of how you provide these agreements to your customers,
and regardless of whether your business has only a retail store or
both a retail and online store, your business may need the following
legal agreements:
- Privacy Policy
- Terms and Conditions
- Return/Refund Policy

6. Privacy Policy
If your business collects any personal information from shoppers -
email addresses or phone numbers, or whether your physical store
asks shoppers for an email address in person when they’re completing
their transaction at the registers - you'll most likely need to have a
Privacy Policy agreement.
If you ask users for an email address, make sure that any emails you
send them has a link to your Privacy Policy, as well as a method for
unsubscribing (4).
(4) https://termsfeed.com/blog/how-use-privacy-policies-email-newsletters/

7. Here's the footer section at the bottom of every email that Shopko (5)
sends to customers who have provided their email addresses for
Shopko's email newsletter. Note how the link to their Privacy Policy
(6) is conspicuously placed:
(5) http://www.shopko.com/
(6) http://www.shopko.com/category/Customer-Help/Privacy-Policy/pc/2198/2208.uts

8. (7) http://www.walmart.com/
(8) http://corporate.walmart.com/privacy-security/walmart-privacy-policy
Ecommerce stores generally include links to the Privacy Policy
agreements right when the user is prompted to enter her/his email
address.
Walmart’s website (7) lets users sign up for email alerts about sales
and promotions. Right next to the "Sign up" button is a link to the
Walmart Privacy Policy (8). This makes it easy for users to notice and
access the agreement:

9. Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions agreements are very helpful for protecting your
business (9) and letting customers know what is expected of them.
For ecommerce stores, these agreements (10) typically include clauses
that give a business the right to terminate an account with a
customer if certain conditions aren’t met or if violations occur, and
that limit the way a customer can interact with the business.
(9) https://termsfeed.com/blog/draft-limitation-exclusion-liability-clauses/
(10) https://termsfeed.com/blog/an-ecommerce-business-needs-terms-conditions/

10. Include a link to your Terms and Conditions somewhere where a
customer can easily find it, such as in the website footer, as seen
below with Shopko’s Online Terms (11) linked in the footer located on
every page of the website:
(11) http://www.shopko.com/online-terms

11. Here's an example from the back of a John Lewis (12) gift card that
lists out the different "Terms" of the card, including information about
how and where the card can be used, what happens in the event that
the card is lost or stolen, expiration information, and a link to the full
Terms and Conditions (13) that’s available online:
(12) http://www.johnlewis.com/
(13) http://www.johnlewis.com/customer-services/information-about-our-terms-and-conditions

12. Return/Refund Policy
Return and Refund Policies (14) can differ drastically from store to
store, from no refunds whatsoever, so full refunds up to years after
purchase, and everything in between.
While returns/refunds aren’t legally required (in the US; UK, Europe
can have different requirements (15)) unless there's an actual
misrepresentation by the business about the product, many
businesses offer the ability to return an item for a refund out of a
customer courtesy, and to attract and keep customers.
(14) https://termsfeed.com/blog/sample-return-policy-ecommerce-stores/
(15) https://termsfeed.com/blog/how-return-policy-affect-customer-retention/

13. Old Navy (16) also includes return information on its receipt and
references OldNavy.com website to find other terms and conditions
and complete details on the policy.
Examples
(16) http://oldnavy.gap.com/
(17) http://www.gap.com/customerService/info.do?cid=81264&m-
A customer will be taken to a very useful section about returning and
exchanging items purchased on the Gap website (17):

14. Return Exchange Policy
SELECT STORES
Merchandise with a receipt may be
returned at anytime for the original form
of payment for price paid or you may
apply price paid towards a merchandise
exchange. Other terms and conditions
apply. See complete details in any Old
Navy Store or online at oldnavy.com.
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to receive the latest Old Navy news each

15. Returning or exchanging items bought online
We hope you love what you ordered. But in
case you don't — perhaps it’s a little too big or
the style just isn't you — we'll send you a new
size, color, or style, or issue you a quick refund.
Returns and exchanges are free when you use
our prepaid return shipping label or when you
return in store. You have up to 45 days to
return items purchased at Gap, Old Navy and
Banana Republic. Items purchased from Ath-
lete may be returned at any time. Full details of
all our return polices can be found on our
'Return Policies' page:
To return items by mail
To exchange items by mail
To return or exchange items in a store
To return or exchange items purchased from
more than one brand
To create a mailing label for a return

16. Warranty Disclaimer
If you’re a manufacturer of what you sell in your store or online store, you may be
legally required to uphold some warranties to your customers regarding the
fitness of your goods.
However, if you’re a reseller of goods that you do not manufacture, you have the
ability to disclaim all warranties on the goods you sell, including any implied
warranty.
This is important to do as a reseller so that you can’t be held legally liable for
manufacturing defects or issues, or customer expectations that go unmet.

17. Ecommerce businesses tend to include this type of information within a clause
towards the end of their Terms and Conditions agreement.
Walmart (18) includes the following disclaimer in its Terms of Use (19).
All warranties, express or implied, are disclaimed on both the website and mer-
chandise, and an ‘As Is” notice is given:
Example
(18) http://www.walmart.com/
(19) http://help.walmart.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8/~/walmart.com-terms-of-use

18. 20. DISCLAIMER
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NOT APPLY TO ANY PRODUCT WARRANTY OFFERED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE ITEM. THIS DISCLAIMER CONSTITUTES AN
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