Returns of unwanted Christmas presents are expected to double today with 75 per cent of customers who purchased women’s clothing hoping to get a refund.
According to a new study from Royal Mail “Takeback Tuesday”, the first working day back in the new year, will see returns increase more than two-fold compared to an average day in December.
Clothing and footwear are set to dominate today’s returns representing 75 per cent and 38 per cent respectively of all goods returned today. The most commonly returned women’s clothing items were dresses at 37 per cent, while crop tops at 22 per cent and trousers or jeans at 22 per cent.
Close behind are electrical goods, which represent 37 per cent of returned items.
42 per cent of customers said they returned the gift because it didn’t fit, and a further 47 per cent said they would not shop with a retailer again if it didn’t offer free returns.
“January is the busiest time of year for returns. Having an easy way to return online purchases is a crucial part of the online shopping experience,” Royal Mail Parcels’ Nick Landon said.
“For retailers everywhere ensuring their returns experience is in line with consumers’ expectations is incredibly important.”
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