Returns news and archive

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...

Business

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

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...

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...

Fashion |Interview Featured

Sustainability expert slams viral TikTok fashion trend

Gen Z may be leading the sustainability charge but so far their eco-conscious hopes for the future is marred by their shopping habits and keeping fast fashion retailers like Shein and H&M in high demand. A viral hashtag on TikTok, called “Keep or Return”, has clocked over 140 million views. Here fashion bloggers order mountains of clothing to...

RetailFeatured

Could customer selfies curb online returns?

Returns are the bain of digital pureplayers and retailers with ecommerce alike. The online fashion industry has one of the highest levels of retail returns, a result of fast fashion companies offering lenient returns policies for customers to have no risk in trying sizes and styles. But high volume returns come with a cost, not just for...

Retail

The High Returns Era Means Online Fashion Must Play For Keeps, Not Just Sales

Online fashion brands are facing a flood of returns that shows no sign of slowing - in fact, the tide is rising. ReBOUND data highlights that in the UK alone, the volume of online fashion returns is currently 55% higher than this time last year. Today’s customers are increasingly savvy to how easy it is to return online purchases - it now takes...

Retail

Zara to charge customers a fee for returning goods bought online

Without fanfare or a major announcement, Zara last week began charging fees for online shoppers returning its clothes. The 1.95 pound cost will be waived if customers return items in its physical stores, but not if returned via a convenient third party drop-off point. The cost of returns has soared in recent years as online shoppers order...