Many brands aid our online shopping addiction by offering free delivery and returns, making buying more than we really need more tempting than ever – ASOS, we’re looking at you.
However Zara recently became the first major brand to announce it was introducing a charge for returns, signalling a turning point for online retail.
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Soon afterwards Boohoo made the announcement that the brand was following suit and would be charging £1.99, with the cost being deducted from the eventual refund.
According to Narvar, half of shoppers who experience ‘difficulty processing a return will not buy from that retailer ever again,’ so it goes without saying that introducing charges is a risky move.
There are some positives though; perhaps it will make us think twice before buying things we don’t need, and it might just help revive physical shops again. Time will tell.
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Which brands charge for online returns?
As well as Boohoo, which also owns brands BoohooMan, Karen Millen, Nasty Gal, PrettyLittleThing, Coast, MissPap, Oasis, Warehouse, Burton, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams, there are some others that charge for returns.
Zara, Uniqlo and Next also charge customers to send items back, but in-store returns are free.
How much does it cost to send online orders back?
Zara charges £1.95 for returns, while Next charges £2.50 and Uniqlo charges £2.95.
Boohoo charges £1.99.
Does it cost money to return online orders in-store?
If you have time to pop to the shops to return an order, you’ll save money as it’s free to do so.
