Returns are a constant challenge for fashion retailers, but understanding apparel return rates is key to overcoming this hurdle. By analyzing how often items are returned and why, fashion retailers can uncover patterns, optimize their strategies, and turn returns from a headache into an opportunity for growth and better customer experience.
Typical Apparel Return Rates
Online return rates for apparel are notably higher than many other retail categories. Fit and style are highly personal, making it challenging to find the perfect match online.
On average, ecommerce apparel returns range between 20% and 30%. Additionally, certain consumer groups, such as millennials and Gen Z, tend to return apparel more frequently, especially when shopping without trying items on first.
Return rates vary across different apparel product categories.
- Clothing: Return rates for clothing typically hover around 20% to 25%. Items like dresses, shirts, and trousers often have slightly higher return rates due to fit challenges and fabric feel.
- Shoes: Shoe return rates tend to be higher, often ranging from 25% to 35%, primarily caused by sizing inconsistencies across brands.
- Accessories: Return rates for accessories, like bags, hats, and jewelry, are generally lower than for clothing and shoes. These products tend to have return rates closer to 10% to 15%, as they don’t need to fit perfectly and depend more on personal style preferences.
Knowing how return rates differ by category allows retailers to tailor their strategies and better manage the unique challenges of each product type.
Factors Influencing Return Rates
Knowing why customers don’t want to keep the item they purchased can help ecommerce businesses better plan for and manage returns. Here are a few key contributors:
1. Fit Issues
Without the ability to try items on, customers often find that a product doesn’t fit as expected when it arrives. A study found that 50% of all returns in the fashion sector were due to sizing or fit problems. Whether it’s a tight waist or a loose sleeve, fit remains a central problem for online shoppers.
2. Material Quality Concerns
Apparel items that appear high quality in product images can sometimes fall short when customers receive them. Poor fabric quality or construction can lead to dissatisfaction and a higher likelihood of return.
3. Customer Expectations
Online shoppers tend to have high expectations when it comes to product descriptions, images, and delivery timelines. If the product doesn’t meet the expectations set by the online store, whether due to pictures that don’t show the product clearly, size charts that aren’t helpful, or inaccurate descriptions, customers are more likely to return it.
4. Unclear Return Policies
Many customers return items due to confusion or dissatisfaction with a retailer’s return policy. Policies that are hard to find, complicated, or restrictive can frustrate shoppers and lead to unnecessary returns or lost sales. Clear, simple, and transparent return guidelines help set proper expectations and reduce return-related issues.
Signs of High Apparel Return Rates and Their Impact
If your fashion ecommerce return rates are really high for your business, it’s important to figure out the problem and fix it before it hurts your profits. High return rates show there may be bigger problems that need to be addressed.
Operational Challenges
High return rates cause significant problems for your team. Handling returns requires resources, from customer service teams processing return requests to logistics teams managing the returned products. Each return adds costs in terms of dealing with, putting back, and sending again, all of which can cut into your profits.
In addition, high return rates can disrupt inventory management. Retailers may struggle to maintain accurate stock levels if returns aren’t processed quickly enough, leading to delays in restocking popular items.
Customer Perception
Another negative impact of high return rates is their effect on customer perception. If returns are frequent or problematic, it can harm your brand’s reputation and make customers lose trust. Reviews and customer feedback often reflect dissatisfaction with the return process, and poor experiences in this area can make people less likely to buy again.
Customers may also see a high return rate as a sign that the products don’t meet expectations. This can drive away potential buyers, especially those who care most about quality and service.
Strategies To Reduce Apparel Return Rates
While some return rates are inevitable, there are strategies you can use to bring them down and improve your overall customer experience. By addressing the root causes of returns, you can reduce the volume of returns and help your business make more money.
Optimizing Size Charts
One of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce returns is to offer accurate, detailed size charts. Many fashion ecommerce businesses lose sales and increase returns due to inaccurate or incomplete size guides. Providing a detailed size guide, along with specific measurements for each item, helps customers make smart buying choices and minimizes the likelihood of receiving products that don’t fit.
Best practices include offering size guides in both standard and metric measurements, including easy-to-understand notes about fit (e.g., slim fit, regular fit), and even providing customer reviews or photos that show how the item fits in real life.
Offering Discounts for No-Return Purchases
Another way to lower return rates is to offer customers a small discount if they agree to waive the option to return the item. This works well for shoppers who are confident in their selection. Repeat customers who have already purchased the same style or size before would be a good fit for this offer.
By giving an immediate incentive, you reduce the chance of returns while building goodwill through perceived savings. Be sure this option is clearly presented at checkout and that customers understand it’s voluntary.
Many fashion brands have successfully implemented this strategy, especially for items that tend to have higher return rates, such as accessories or seasonal items. The key is to be clear about the return rules from the start to avoid frustrating customers later.
Improve Apparel Return Rates With Smart Tools and Strategies
Managing returns doesn’t have to be a constant challenge. With Kiwi Sizing, a powerful Shopify size chart app, you can streamline the process and offer precise, data-driven size recommendations to your customers. Say goodbye to size-related returns and hello to happier, more confident shoppers. Start using Kiwi Sizing today and transform your apparel return rates with smarter sizing solutions!
