In 1985, Marty McFly travelled back to the future to assist his children. In 2023, ecommerce merchants are reverting to paid returns to cope with the surge in their costs.
Free returns have almost become a norm in online shopping. Nearly half of ecommerce merchants offer free returns, while 79% of buyers prefer sites that provide this option.
During the pandemic, free returns became widespread as ecommerce merchants aimed to make consumers comfortable with online shopping. Consumers adapted, even buying the same item in 2 or 3 sizes or colours, deciding at home before returning unwanted products. The return rate by consumers worldwide nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022 (from 10.6% to 18.1%), and companies are increasingly struggling to handle the costs of processing returns.
A Rising Trend
In May 2022, the retail leader Zara began charging its customers €1.95 for returns. Since November 27, 2022, PayPal no longer offers reimbursed returns and does not accept refund requests for return fees, a service that was highly appreciated by its consumers. The same goes for the Japanese retail giant, Uniqlo.
Charging for returns helps reduce last-mile costs, especially as fuel prices have significantly increased in 2022. It also encourages consumers to shop more responsibly to avoid returning parts of their orders to the merchant. This new trend aligns with companies' eco-friendly initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.
In 1985, Marty McFly travelled back to the future to assist his children. In 2023, ecommerce merchants are reverting to paid returns to cope with the surge in their costs.
Free returns have almost become a norm in online shopping. Nearly half of ecommerce merchants offer free returns, while 79% of buyers prefer sites that provide this option.
During the pandemic, free returns became widespread as ecommerce merchants aimed to make consumers comfortable with online shopping. Consumers adapted, even buying the same item in 2 or 3 sizes or colours, deciding at home before returning unwanted products. The return rate by consumers worldwide nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022 (from 10.6% to 18.1%), and companies are increasingly struggling to handle the costs of processing returns.
A Rising Trend
In May 2022, the retail leader Zara began charging its customers €1.95 for returns. Since November 27, 2022, PayPal no longer offers reimbursed returns and does not accept refund requests for return fees, a service that was highly appreciated by its consumers. The same goes for the Japanese retail giant, Uniqlo.
Charging for returns helps reduce last-mile costs, especially as fuel prices have significantly increased in 2022. It also encourages consumers to shop more responsibly to avoid returning parts of their orders to the merchant. This new trend aligns with companies' eco-friendly initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.
In 1985, Marty McFly travelled back to the future to assist his children. In 2023, ecommerce merchants are reverting to paid returns to cope with the surge in their costs.
Free returns have almost become a norm in online shopping. Nearly half of ecommerce merchants offer free returns, while 79% of buyers prefer sites that provide this option.
During the pandemic, free returns became widespread as ecommerce merchants aimed to make consumers comfortable with online shopping. Consumers adapted, even buying the same item in 2 or 3 sizes or colours, deciding at home before returning unwanted products. The return rate by consumers worldwide nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022 (from 10.6% to 18.1%), and companies are increasingly struggling to handle the costs of processing returns.
A Rising Trend
In May 2022, the retail leader Zara began charging its customers €1.95 for returns. Since November 27, 2022, PayPal no longer offers reimbursed returns and does not accept refund requests for return fees, a service that was highly appreciated by its consumers. The same goes for the Japanese retail giant, Uniqlo.
Charging for returns helps reduce last-mile costs, especially as fuel prices have significantly increased in 2022. It also encourages consumers to shop more responsibly to avoid returning parts of their orders to the merchant. This new trend aligns with companies' eco-friendly initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.
In 1985, Marty McFly travelled back to the future to assist his children. In 2023, ecommerce merchants are reverting to paid returns to cope with the surge in their costs.
Free returns have almost become a norm in online shopping. Nearly half of ecommerce merchants offer free returns, while 79% of buyers prefer sites that provide this option.
During the pandemic, free returns became widespread as ecommerce merchants aimed to make consumers comfortable with online shopping. Consumers adapted, even buying the same item in 2 or 3 sizes or colours, deciding at home before returning unwanted products. The return rate by consumers worldwide nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022 (from 10.6% to 18.1%), and companies are increasingly struggling to handle the costs of processing returns.
A Rising Trend
In May 2022, the retail leader Zara began charging its customers €1.95 for returns. Since November 27, 2022, PayPal no longer offers reimbursed returns and does not accept refund requests for return fees, a service that was highly appreciated by its consumers. The same goes for the Japanese retail giant, Uniqlo.
Charging for returns helps reduce last-mile costs, especially as fuel prices have significantly increased in 2022. It also encourages consumers to shop more responsibly to avoid returning parts of their orders to the merchant. This new trend aligns with companies' eco-friendly initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.
