How to Reduce eCommerce Returns

Return rates in UK online retail, especially within the fashion sector, can reach concerning levels, sometimes nearing 25% of all items purchased. Far from being a minor inconvenience, this presents a significant challenge for businesses. The financial impact is clear: return shipping costs, labour for inspection and restocking, and the risk of damaged or unsellable stock all add up quickly.

The effects aren’t just financial. High return volumes put pressure on operations, taking up valuable warehouse space, disrupting stock management, and redirecting staff from other important tasks. There’s also an environmental cost. Each return often means additional packaging and extra transport, which contribute to carbon emissions, something more shoppers are taking into account when choosing where to buy.

Still, treating returns as an unavoidable part of doing business online overlooks the opportunity to reduce them. Like any other performance indicator, return rates can be monitored, analysed, and improved. Understanding the reasons behind customer returns is the first step towards implementing practical solutions that work.

Common Reasons for eCommerce Returns in the UK

To reduce returns effectively, it's essential to understand why customers are sending items back. While the specifics can vary between businesses, several common themes appear across the eCommerce landscape:

• Fit and Sizing Issues: This is one of the most frequent reasons for returns, particularly in the clothing and footwear sectors. Without the ability to try items on, customers often find that products are too large, too small, or don’t fit as expected. According to research, 65% of consumers return items due to sizing problems.
• Product Not as Expected: In some cases, the item received doesn’t match the customer's expectations based on the online listing. This might be due to differences in colour between screen and real life, unclear images, or product descriptions that don’t fully reflect the texture, material, or features. Around 31% of consumers have returned items due to inaccurate or unclear product details.
• Damaged or Faulty Items: Goods may arrive with manufacturing defects or sustain damage during packaging and delivery. Receiving a faulty product is one of the most reliable triggers for a return, with 56% of consumers having returned an item for this reason.
• Bracketing: This is the practice of ordering multiple sizes or colours of the same item with the intention of keeping only one. It's a way for customers to replicate the fitting room experience at home. Research shows that 69% of online shoppers have engaged in bracketing.
• Changed Mind or No Longer Needed: Buyer’s remorse or changing needs also contribute to returns. A customer may decide the item is no longer required, find a better alternative, or experience a change in circumstances before the product arrives. Around 12% of consumers return items that are no longer needed, while 11% do so due to buyer’s remorse.
• Wardrobing or Deliberate Misuse: Although less common, some customers use an item (such as wearing it to an event) and then return it. Managing this behaviour calls for clearly defined return policies and careful inspection processes.

Understanding these categories provides a helpful starting point. However, the real value comes from identifying the specific reasons behind returns in your business. Tracking the exact cause of each return, rather than relying on the overall return rate alone, is the first step towards developing strategies that make a meaningful difference.

Pre-Purchase Strategies to Minimise Returns

Many returns can be prevented before the customer even places an order. By focusing on clarity, accuracy, and setting the right expectations from the outset, businesses can reduce the number of returns caused by confusion or mismatched expectations. Here are some key areas to focus on:

Improve Product Presentation and Information

Providing a complete and accurate product overview is essential for helping customers make confident decisions.

• Detailed Descriptions: Go beyond basic information. Include materials, dimensions, weights (if relevant), and care instructions. Emphasise key features and explain how they benefit the customer. This helps buyers determine whether the product truly suits their needs.​​​​​​​
• High-Quality Visuals: Use clear, high-resolution images taken from multiple angles. Include close-ups to show texture and finish, and lifestyle or context shots (e.g. a model wearing the item or furniture in a styled room) to provide scale. Short product videos demonstrating features or usage can be especially helpful. Enable zoom functionality and aim for consistent colour accuracy across devices.​​​​​​​
• Accurate Size Guides and Fit Tools: For clothing and footwear, comprehensive size guides are essential. Make them easy to find and interpret, with clear reference to UK sizing. Since sizing often varies by brand, include exact measurements where possible. Some businesses may benefit from offering fit prediction tools or virtual try-on technology to further support decision-making.

Use Social Proof and User-Generated Content

Shoppers often rely on the experiences of others when making decisions. Highlighting authentic feedback adds valuable context.

• Customer Reviews and Ratings: Encourage buyers to leave honest reviews, particularly noting sizing, quality, and whether the item matched its description. Allow customers to upload photos with their reviews to give potential buyers a more realistic view of the product in use.​​​​​​​
• Q&A Sections: Enable prospective buyers to ask specific questions on product pages and respond publicly. This helps clarify common concerns and supports other customers who may have the same queries.

Strengthen Quality Control and Order Accuracy

Preventing mistakes before dispatch is more efficient and cost-effective than processing returns.

• Pre-Shipment Checks: Implement strict quality control to catch damaged or defective items before they reach the customer.​​​​​​​
• Accurate Picking and Packing: Use clear processes in the warehouse to ensure that each order includes the correct item, in the right size, colour, and quantity. Accurate stock levels and strong inventory management are key to avoiding fulfilment errors.

Set Clear Expectations

Being transparent with customers helps reduce dissatisfaction and avoid returns prompted by disappointment.

• Reliable Delivery Estimates: Offer clear, realistic delivery timeframes and keep customers informed of any unexpected delays.​​​​​​​
• Honest Marketing: Ensure product descriptions, promotional images, and other marketing content reflect the actual item accurately. Overpromising can lead directly to returns if the product fails to meet expectations.

Optimising the Post-Purchase & Returns Process

Although reducing returns is the goal, some will always be inevitable. How you handle them can make a significant difference, not only in terms of operational efficiency, but also in how customers perceive your brand. A well-managed returns process can even deter deliberate misuse and generate valuable insights for continuous improvement.

Accessible Returns Policy

Your returns policy should be easy to find and understand, even before a customer commits to a purchase.

• Make the Terms Clear: Clearly outline the return window (e.g. 14 or 28 days), the condition in which items must be returned, how to initiate the process, and what options are available (refund, exchange, or store credit). Be transparent about any return costs. While many customers expect free returns, it’s crucial to communicate any fees upfront.​​​​​​​
• Tailor Where Appropriate: A universal policy may not suit every product. You could offer different terms for sale items, personalised products, or specific categories, as long as all policies remain in line with UK consumer rights legislation.

Efficient Returns Management

A well-structured returns process makes it easier for genuine customers while capturing the data you need to identify issues.

• Collect Return Reasons: When a customer starts a return, require them to choose a reason from a clear, standardised list. This step is vital for building accurate and actionable return data.​​​​​​​
• Simplify the Process: Make it easy for customers to initiate a return, for example, through a dedicated consumer returns portal. Features like automatic label generation and step-by-step instructions improve the experience. Providing parcel tracking for returns also offers reassurance for customers and helps your team manage incoming stock more effectively.

Analyse Returns Data Consistently

Data is only useful if it's reviewed regularly and used to guide improvements.

• Monitor Trends: Set aside time to analyse returns data on a regular basis. Are certain products or categories being returned more frequently? Are particular sizes or colours consistently problematic? Did returns increase following a specific campaign or product release?
• Use Insights to Drive Change: Apply what you learn to refine product descriptions, adjust size guides, improve imagery, or modify marketing language. If quality issues arise repeatedly, share that data with suppliers to support product improvements or negotiation. Returns data can also inform future buying decisions or highlight gaps in customer expectations.

Leveraging Technology

Technology can play a key role in reducing returns and managing the process more efficiently. The right systems not only automate routine tasks but also provide better insights and improve operational accuracy across the business.

• Returns Management Software (RMS): A dedicated RMS platform can streamline the entire returns process. These systems often include customer-facing portals for initiating returns, automated communications and label generation, centralised returns data, and detailed analytics dashboards. Together, these features make it easier to track return activity and understand the reasons behind them, supporting continuous improvement across your product and service offering.​​​​​​​
• AI and Sizing Tools: As sizing issues are a major cause of returns, technologies that improve fit accuracy can make a significant difference. This includes AI-powered sizing tools, virtual try-on experiences, or algorithms that recommend sizes based on previous purchases or customer-provided measurements. These tools help customers choose the right fit the first time, reducing the likelihood of returns.​​​​​​​
• Integrated Inventory Management: Accurate, real-time inventory data is essential for preventing avoidable errors. Inventory systems that synchronise with your eCommerce platform help ensure customers only purchase items that are in stock. This reduces the risk of overselling, cancelled orders, or incorrect items being shipped. All of which can damage customer trust and increase the likelihood of returns.

Conclusion

Reducing eCommerce returns calls for a considered, multi-layered strategy. The most effective approach combines proactive measures before purchase with efficient handling afterwards. This includes improving product listings with detailed descriptions, high-quality visuals, and accurate size guides; applying robust quality control and order accuracy checks; maintaining a transparent and fair returns policy; and consistently capturing and analysing return reasons.

The right technology, such as returns management platforms and integrated inventory systems, can strengthen these efforts, helping to streamline processes and improve decision-making.

For online retailers, the benefits go far beyond reducing costs. Fewer returns typically result in improved customer satisfaction and stronger brand loyalty. Resources are used more effectively, operations run more smoothly, and your business becomes more environmentally responsible by cutting down on avoidable shipping and waste.

Returns should be seen not just as a challenge, but as a valuable source of insight. Understanding why items are sent back, and acting on that information, enables ongoing improvements across your product range, website content, and fulfilment processes. This kind of continuous refinement helps build a more resilient, customer-focused eCommerce business over the long term.

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