Achieving the Perfect Returns Logistics Approach

Online returns continue to be one of the most complicated and expensive challenges in fashion retail. For customers, a simple and convenient return process can strongly influence whether they decide to make a purchase. For retailers, however, returns place ongoing pressure on profitability, supply chain efficiency, and long-term customer loyalty.

In 2026, customer expectations have continued to rise significantly. Shoppers now demand clear policies, convenient processes, and faster refunds, or exchanges. At the same time, many retailers are adding return fees and implementing stricter policies in an effort to manage rising costs. As a result, finding the right balance between controlling expenses and maintaining a positive customer experience has become one of the fashion industry’s most critical challenges.

What is convenience?

Convenience is a tricky word to define in retail and logistics. What is convenient for one consumer might be a nightmare for the next. That’s why convenience is often about providing options.

Those options start during the purchasing process. Retailers should offer accurate sizing guide information, customer reviews, video content, showcase products on differently sized models, and ensure product images and descriptions are clear and up-to-date. Getting your website right can have the biggest impact on return rates and customer loyalty.

Flexibility in reverse logistics

Choice is also vital in the returns experience.

More than three-quarters (76%) of consumers from a ZigZag survey say having a choice of returns channels is important. Home collection is the favorite of UK consumers, and locker drop-offs have grown by 186% in the last two years; however, they are only offered by 46% and 43% of retailers, respectively. Additionally, seven in 10 (69%) consumers also value courier choice. However, on average retailers offer less than 3 options.

Of course, some convenience process traits are a little easier to agree on. They want simple checkout processes and intuitive returns portals. Customers want goods to be sent in resealable and reuseable packing for when they do need to return.

Finally, customers want fast and communicative refund processes. That’s ultimately one of the biggest weaknesses found when testing the returns processes of the Top 100 UK retailers, alongside Retail Economics. Customers were frustrated and ready to call up customer service after just 5 days of waiting for a refund, but the average speed of refund was 7.3 days.

Balancing a customer-centric policy with profitability

Convenience undoubtedly creates more loyal customers in the long-run, but it can be costly. It can even encourage more fraudulent behavior.

The perfect convenient returns process in the eyes of the consumer likely involves never reaching for their credit card. But, with return rates as high as they are across e-commerce, free returns simply aren’t sustainable for the bottom lines of brands or the networks of their logistics partners.

While 71% of shoppers believe returns should be free, there is a willingness or acceptance that fees will be necessary for some retailers. Shoppers under the age of 45 are more realistic, whilst older shoppers are less forgiving. However, the average cost across retailers shows a clear gap between consumer expectations and retailer practice remains.

Only one in four UK retailers surveyed still offer completely free returns (i.e. no delivery or returns fee).

Social media haul culture: Managing convenience and accessibility

Social commerce is the new and exciting marketing channel all retailers, particularly fashion and beauty brands, are starting to explore. Social media channels are quickly becoming the first place Gen Z look for their latest purchase.

For retailers however, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. The right influencers can see an explosion of sales overnight and provide a positive rise in brand reputation and recognition. But going viral can also be a curse.

The excitement around social media haul culture isn’t necessarily the issue, it’s what happens afterward. Influencers can drive thousands of sales within minutes, but brands are often left struggling with customer complaints, supplier problems, stock shortages, and large volumes of returns. That kind of sudden surge in demand can easily overwhelm a brand, and if the operations behind the scenes aren’t prepared, the reputational damage can be lasting.

In many high-profile cases, the real challenge lies in logistics, returns, and the overall post-purchase experience. Delayed deliveries, uncertainty around refunds, missing tracking links, and customer service teams flooded with “Where is my order?” messages quickly expose operational weaknesses. While influencers excel at generating demand, the stage after checkout is often where brands begin to show cracks if their systems and processes aren’t ready to support the spike in sales.