Returns Remain a Major Problem for Online Retail

According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom e.V., every tenth online order is returned in Germany. With 3.9 billion packages in the B2C sector (Statista 2021) in Germany, that amounts to a staggering 390 million returns. This is primarily a delight for the parcel services. But is it also good for the environment? Probably not. Click & Collect, combined with physical retail stores, could at least provide some relief. However, nothing is said yet about what happens to the returned goods. Many of these items (especially inexpensive clothing) end up unworn in the old clothes collection. All parties involved need to come up with solutions.

(Berlin) Back in the box, return label on, and off to the next post – this happens with every tenth online purchase. A quarter of online shoppers (26 percent) skip the trip altogether and do not return items at all. This was the result of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom among 1,024 online buyers aged 16 and older in Germany. According to the survey, women return a larger share of their online orders on average (12 percent) compared to men (8 percent). Also, those aged 16 to 29 return an above-average 13 percent of their online purchases. In contrast, the group of those over 60 returns the least amount of goods to the sender at 7 percent.

“In the interest of sustainability, we must avoid returns as much as possible. Digital solutions such as virtual fitting rooms, data-driven size advice, and 360-degree views support product selection and can help reduce the return rate,” says Bitkom’s CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. “This not only means higher customer satisfaction and lower costs for retailers but also less resource consumption in logistics.”

Different Reasons for Returns

Doesn’t fit, small scratch, or a better offer – customers returning goods ordered online do so for a variety of reasons. The most common reason for returning online purchases is that they are not liked. 54 percent cite this as the reason for a previous return. 53 percent have returned an item because it was faulty or damaged, 42 percent because it did not match the image or description in the webshop, and 38 percent because it appeared poorly made.

Many also calculate returns from the outset: 37 percent have intentionally ordered more than they actually need, for example, clothing in different sizes. Among those who return online purchases, 29 percent received the wrong item, while 14 percent made an error in their order. One in ten (10 percent) has discovered a better offer and therefore returned online-ordered goods.

Note on Methodology

The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,123 internet users, including 1,024 online shoppers aged 16 and older in Germany, were surveyed online. The survey is representative. The questions were: “What percentage of your online purchases do you return?” and “For which of the following reasons have you ever returned goods?”

Photo: © Loginfo24

Graphic: © Statista/BIEK

Source Statistics 2021