The fashion return rate is one of the most expensive topics in online retail. Every return costs shipping, inspection, reprocessing and often margin. On top come the burden on the environment and a worse customer experience. Much of this sits in logistics and buying. But marketing has more influence than many think.
At Breuninger we worked with more than 6,500 looks. Images were the most important basis for customers’ buying decisions. That is exactly where many of the expectations arise that later lead to a return, or not.
- Returns often stem from wrong expectations.
- Images should show fit and material honestly.
- Good product copy and size guidance prevent returns.
- Return reasons belong in marketing planning.
Contents
Why marketing influences the fashion return rate
The Returns Management research group at the University of Bamberg has studied for years why people send goods back and what retailers can do about it (see here: Universität Bamberg, Retourenmanagement). A recurring finding: many returns have their cause before the purchase, for example in size, fit or a presentation that does not match the product.
This makes it clear: what marketing shows and promises helps determine what comes back. Campaign, product page and newsletter create expectations. The more accurate they are, the less often there is disappointment when unpacking.
Ways 1 and 2: honest images and clear copy
Way 1: images should show how a piece really fits and falls. That includes shots on the model with size and body measurements, detail shots of the material and a colour that matches the original. Strong staging is fine as long as it does not mislead about the fit.
Way 2: product copy answers the questions that otherwise only come up when unpacking. Does it run small? Is the fabric heavy or light? How is it cared for? Short, concrete answers help more than general advertising language.
Way 3: size guidance as part of the brand
Many returns are caused by the wrong size. A good size chart, hints from reviews and a simple recommendation per item help. I describe technical solutions in my post on virtual try-on. What matters is that the size guidance is clearly visible and speaks in the tone of the brand.
Way 4: analyse the reasons for returns
Marketing should see the reasons for returns regularly. If an item comes back noticeably often because of its colour, that points to the image. If it comes back because of size, the copy needs a hint. This way the fashion return rate becomes a metric marketing works on too.
An example from practice: a dress is often ordered in two sizes and one is sent back. A line like “runs one size large” in the copy, an image on the model with size information and a matching hint in the newsletter can help reduce this without slowing sales.
A fixed meeting between marketing, buying and customer service helps. Once a month everyone looks together at the items with the most returns and the reasons given. This leads to concrete tasks: a new image, an extra sentence in the copy or a note in the size chart. A number from logistics becomes a list of improvements that marketing can implement directly.
Campaigns can prevent returns too. Anyone introducing a new fit or a new material is best off explaining it in the campaign already, not only on the product page. People who know what to expect order more precisely and send back less often. In the end that also strengthens trust in the brand.
My conclusion: the fashion return rate falls when marketing creates honest expectations. Images, copy and size guidance matter just as much as logistics and buying. Knowing the reasons for returns makes targeted improvements possible.