Four cohorts of returners are identified, with ‘serial’ and ‘slow’ returners the biggest drivers of the UK’s swelling returns volume - they equate to 22% of shoppers but are responsible for almost half (45.5%) of returns, with each serial returner projected to send back an average of £1,400 worth of non-food products this year.
The report is a comprehensive assessment of consumers’ attitudes towards returns and their impact on retailers, including:
• The UK’s vast returns volumes - over one in five non-food online purchases are now returned, and online returns costs forecasted to exceed £27 billion in 2024.
• Habits increasing returns rates - 16% of shoppers admitted to buying items to wear and return after one use (‘wardrobing’) and 15% flaunt items on social media then immediately send them back (‘staging’).
• A generational divide - 69% of Gen Z admitting to deliberately over ordering sizes or colours, intending to return part of the order (‘bracketing’) versus only 16% of Baby Boomers.
• The returns fee sweet spot - consumers are willing to pay £2 for returns on average, consistent with ZigZag’s YouGov poll that found a preference to pay a flat fee for returns over inflated prices at the checkout.
