Published
Jan 3, 2020
Reading time
2 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Surging returns on 'Takeback Thursday' underline importance of try before you buy options

Published
Jan 3, 2020

While pre-Christmas retail may have been disappointing in the UK, it could get worse with yesterday having been dubbed ‘Takeback Thursday’ on the back of predictions that a huge number of December purchases would be returned on that day.

Easy returns are key for customer retention



Parcels carrier Royal Mail spoke to over 1,500 consumers and said returns of online purchases were expected to rise 72% on Thursday compared to the average number of return parcels per day in December. 

And it said the deluge of returns is supporting evidence for the need to make those returns much easier and to offer try before you buy options.

Royal Mail explained that the average online shopper in the UK sends back a purchase every month and three in five online shoppers would be unlikely to use a retailer again if they have a difficult returns experience.

The firm’s research found that speed of refund is the most important element of the returns process for online shoppers and 58% of shoppers are more likely to use a retailer if they offer a try before you buy service. In fact, 35% would buy more items if such an option was available from a retailer, increasing to 47% among 18-34 year-olds compared to only 22% for those aged 55 and over.

All of this is particularly important for the fashion sector as shoppers who are wary of items not looking and fitting how they appear online are particularly keen on try before you buy. Clothing (60%) and footwear (42%) are the categories people are most likely to use this service for. In fact, usage of it has increased significantly for clothing since last year (52% in 2018).

Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.