Home truths
New research commissioned by Royal Mail has found that one in eight (12%) online shoppers have returned internet purchases because they look different from the pictures they saw online. The research also found that 20% of those who returned an item purchased online over a six month period did so because the quality was not what they expected.
However, the main reason for returning an online purchase was the “fit”, with more than a third (36%) of consumers interviewed claiming to have sent an item back because it didn’t fit.
Commenting on the findings, Patrick Fagan, Consumer Psychologist and Lecturer, London College of Fashion said: “It may well be that many online shoppers see the items they order completely differently once they arrive and suddenly realise that they have made a mistake. In addition, more and more consumers are looking to try on clothes in the comfort of their own home, where they are in control of the lighting and can team them up with their own accessories to get a better idea of how suitable the item is.”
Royal Mail said that its Returns Portal, launched last year, can help online retailers better manage customer returns by giving them full visibility of items as they make their way back to warehouses and stores. The portal captures information on the specific items being returned, the customer making the return and the reason for the return.
Royal Mail’s Returns Portal also aims to improve the online shoppers’ returns experience, as customers have the ability to easily print off a returns label, post their item at one of over 11,500 Post Office branches and monitor the progress of the item being returned.
Last year, Royal Mail’s Delivery Matters research found that just over half (56%) of consumers returning an item bought online found it easy to do.
Nick Landon, Managing Director, Royal Mail Parcels said: “The ease of returning an item is a key part of a customer’s overall online shopping experience. We know from talking to online shoppers that a large number of people read the returns policy before deciding where to buy. We have pulled out all the stops to be able to offer a solution through our Returns Portal and our Tracked Returns products that meets both the retailer’s and consumers’ needs.”
