With Amazon’s latest Prime Day event [running 23 – 26 June], a new study has estimated that nearly half of the items purchased during the member discount day will be returned.
An estimated 61 million items are expected to be returned by UK shoppers following this year’s event, according to new research by Manhattan Associates.
With 65% of UK shoppers admitting to making the most of discount days, the total volume of Prime Day purchases is expected to hit 131 million items.
“Prime Day is one of the most exciting moments in the retail calendar, but it also puts the entire commerce operation under enormous strain. The 61 million items expected to be returned don’t all arrive back at the same time or in the same condition. They come in waves, across multiple channels, from different customers with different expectations about refunds, exchanges and delivery” warned Keith Dipple, EMEA unified commerce sales director, Manhattan Associates.
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Looking at who is driving this volume, the study found 25–34-year-olds purchase an average of 3.69 items, the highest of any age group. They are also the most prolific returners. Gen Z shoppers could return up to 73 per cent of what they buy, compared to 44 per cent among those aged 55 and over.
Additionally, return rates and the financial impact will not be the same across different categories. Sports, outdoors and leisure top the table at £466.91 per return. Consumer electronics and technology average £142.93.
Fashion and apparel and health, beauty and personal care sit at the lower end at £25.71 and £25.81 respectively. Toys, games and baby products record the highest return rate by category at over 40 per cent.
AI-powered discovery will also play an important role in the 2026 sale. Over one in three (36 per cent) consumers now use AI to inform their purchase decisions – meaning as many as 47 million Prime Day purchases could be AI-influenced this year.
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