Product Returns

For customers, returns are often when customer experience and loyalty is really tested. A confusing process, long wait times, or inconsistent answers can undo months of brand trust in minutes. Unfortunately, returns are a simple fact in retail. Post-holiday returns may spike in January, but the pressure they create extends throughout the entire year. The…

Retail returns abuse has become internet famous. In recent months, social media users have populated posts on channels like TikTok, highlighting how they could save hundreds of dollars by taking advantage of returns policies set by retailers like Costco, Amazon.com, and Target. In fact, the videos have grown to become a veritable theme on social…

Last holiday season, one of a brand’s most loyal customers ordered three party dresses, intending to keep the one that fit best. What should have been a routine return turned into a viral disaster: confusing instructions, a missing confirmation email, and a delayed refund pushed her frustration onto social media. The brand scrambled to respond,…

Fraud in retail is on the rise; retailers reported a whopping 93 percent increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 vs. 2019. And return fraud — i.e., abusing returns for monetary gain — plays a big role in this. In 2024, more than 16 percent of retail sales were estimated…

As Gen Z comes of age, they’re not just influencing what gets bought, they’re reshaping what happens post-purchase. Returns are key. Gen Z feels the most green guilt of any generation, with 43 percent expressing worry about the impact of excessive online shopping and returns. For this generation, return policies aren’t customer service features; they’re…

Instead of traditional reactive policies and trying to figure out how to reduce product returns​, learn smarter strategies that reduce costs, prevent abuse, improve customer experience, and enhance sustainability efforts. Return fraud is no longer an anomaly; it’s a persistent challenge baked into the e-commerce experience. As online shopping grows, so does the volume of…

Picture this all-too-common scenario: A shopper is packing for a long-awaited summer trip when she realizes that the black bathing suit she had recently ordered — classic, safe — just didn’t fit the vibe. Fortunately, Frankies Bikinis made the fix easy. A few clicks later, a butter yellow set is on its way: more on-brand,…

It’s no surprise that, due to the recent tumultuous economic backdrop, consumers are shifting their shopping habits to find the best deals, choose brands that have lenient return policies, and make the most of the money they do choose to spend. A recent survey of consumers in the U.S. and U.K. explored the overarching theme…

Product returns continue to be a growing source of friction for the retail industry, with $685 billion in merchandise returned in the U.S. last year. However, retailers can convert these returns into exchanges, while also improving fraud detection and optimizing production selection, by leveraging a combination of advanced artificial intelligence-powered data analytics and customer service…

While attending Shoptalk 2025 in Las Vegas from March 25-27, Total Retail's Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan had the opportunity to interview Emily Hosie, founder and CEO of REBEL, formerly REBELStork, a Certified B Corp and the leading tech-driven recommerce solution for returns and overstock in North America. Hosie provides an overview of the business, her career…