Returns are good at the end.

Returns are good. They prove that the consumer system can return directly to sender and not become societies problem.

When the fashion industry moved online along with other industries a couple of decades ago, they had a particular consumer experience issue to resolve – the option to try. Traditional shopping experiences rely on the consumer trying items on, seeing how they fit. How does a company achieve this through a digital experience? 

A lot of effort went into this question. Much of which is behind the scenes in stock management, account and payment processing, shipping, packaging and communication. Not an easy task, but 20 years later many online fashion retailers are proud of their returns experience. 

Shopping is an experience of rejecting as much as an experience of consumption. Comfortable rejecting of what is not wanted is important to make this an enjoyable consumer experience. A good returns service can help in making that feel right. 

The returns system also shows us that consumerism has the capability to send items back to the seller accurately, efficiently and with a branded experience built around it. This further shows the potential of making branded endings a possibility. That can also build on the rest of the consumer lifecycle, keep items inside the consumer and provider relationship. Stopping the leak out in to the wider environment.

Since the pandemic online fashion retailers saw an increase in business. Alongside this they saw an increase in returns. The fast-fashion brand BooHoo said a drop in its profits was down to an increase in returns. This has led some retailer to start charging for returns.

Could returns see wider usage? Maybe in the aftermath of a products normal life. Maybe it should be baked in to any purchase – some items returned immediately, some years later. After a happy usage period a product should end up where it started, at the manufactures depot.