Businesses that offer free delivery and returns are having to absorb losses of as much as £8 per order for each order that is shipped out and subsequently returned. That is before administrative, repair and repackaging costs are taken into account.
It is estimated that customers return £5.2 billion worth of stock each year and the spread of coronavirus cases in recent weeks has increased the volume of returns as people are returning evening wear now that Christmas parties are being cancelled in their millions.
According to Rebound, the returns management company, retailers have seen a 48.4 per cent increase in returns in the last three weeks and the rate of returns of formal wear is now 40 per cent higher than this time last year.
Graham Best, chief executive of Rebound, said: “Cancelled Christmas parties and concerns about the Omicron variant has driven fashion returns sky-high as shoppers send back clothing they’ll no longer be wearing out. Traditionally we see a rise in fashion returns at this time of year thanks to post-Black Friday buyers’ remorse but this is far…
