Returns news and archive

Shoppers want sustainable returns, but prioritise convenience

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their shopping habits and are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly options, according to a survey by returns specialist ReBound. The study found that 73 percent of shoppers are prepared to incur extra costs for environmentally responsible returns. While 76 percent of...

BusinessFeatured

Tech tools for combating poor fit and returns: data analytics, AI and VR

About This article was written for FashionUnited by Helen Scurfield, Innovation and Development Director, Asendia. What is causing returns on this scale? A massive 46 percent of US consumers in a recent Harris Poll gave ‘poor fit’ as the prime reason for returning garments, ahead of damage (38 percent) and poor quality (36 percent). This issue...

Retail

New Look introduces return kiosks to select stores

Retail chain New Look has rolled out a number of return kiosks across a selection of its stores in a bid to reduce the time spent by staff when processing such returns. The kiosks, powered by returns platform ZigZag, will also be used as a method of collecting data, to better understand the needs of the customer and why they are opting to return...

BusinessPress Release

Auctane Expands Portfolio through Acquisition of the Return Rabbit Business

Acquisition advances Auctane’s commitment to enhancing end-to-end delivery experiences. Auctane, the leading global delivery experience company that operates trusted brands such as Metapack, ShipStation, Packlink, ShipEngine, Stamps.com, ShippingEasy, ShipWorks, and Endicia, today announced it has acquired the assets of Return Rabbit, an...

Fashion Featured

UK returns are estimated to generate 750,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions

For retailers and environmentalists alike, the crux of fashion e-commerce is the high volume of returns. At best, returns should be mitigated at point of sale, reducing a potential for return shipments, and to be handled more efficiently if they do get sent back. This requires optimisation of logistics and operations processes for efficiency and...

Business

New Look to trial charging for online returns

New Look is said to be trialling a 1.99 pound return fee for online orders in order to offset any possible price rises. The fee will apply to postal returns only, with in-store returns for online orders to continue being free. In a statement to FashionUnited, a New Look spokesperson commented: “New Look has taken the decision to trial a 1.99...

RetailFeatured

Inditex expands its return fee to home market

Zara parent Inditex since May has been charging online shoppers in select regions for returning unwanted items. On Thursday the group said it would expand the charge to its home base of Spain, one of its core markets. A fee of 1,95 euros will be deducted from a processed refund, unless goods are dropped off at a physical store. The cost of...

Business

Faslet, the digital size advice company for clothing e-commerce that aims for a 100% reduction of size-related returns

It's a common problem: You're looking online for the perfect dress or a comfortable shirt, but you're not sure about your size. To remove all doubt, you open the size chart. Problem solved, you would think, only this jungle of labels and ways of measuring yourself only increases your uncertainty. It is no secret that it is often difficult to...

Business

Moss Bros and THG among retailers introducing return fees

A number of retailers have said they would be introducing a fee for shoppers looking to return items bought online just one week after the busy holiday season. THG, Moss Bros and Mountain Warehouse have announced the new condition, according to The Telegraph, as return rates continue to increase. Beauty conglomerate THG, which owns the likes of...

BusinessPress Release

Breaking the returns cycle

Understanding why consumers return online fashion purchases is a major step towards reducing them, says Sarah Curran MBE, MD EMEA at True Fit. The battle to reduce the volume of returned clothing and footwear – as high as 70% for some brands – has largely been fought on the inward rather than the outward journey; most of the tech solutions...

Business

H&M considers charging a returns fee for goods bought online

Fast fashion retailer H&M has said it is considering charging fees for returns for goods bought online. As return numbers surge - up to 30 percent of all items bought online are sent back – free shipping is biting into retail margins. In a call with analysts H&M CEO Helena Helmersson said: “It all depends on how it’s received by the customer. So...

Business

British Fashion Council enlists Roland Berger for report on e-commerce returns

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that it has commissioned global strategists Roland Berger, in partnership with DHL, to carry out a report that hopes to solve problems surrounding e-commerce returns in fashion. The initiative comes as part of the BFC’s Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) and will see initial findings and...