A host of major fast fashion players, including Zara and Asos, are cracking down on serial returners who shop online by reducing promoted items or introducing fees for items sent back.
In the past, consumers have been used to ordering numerous different sizes and colours of the same product before making their final choice.
But now fast fashion retailers, including Boohoo, Zara and H&M, have all introduced small charges for returns to tackle the growing issue which is hitting profits and reduce the climate impact.
On H&M’s move, head of investor relations Joseph Ahlberg said the retailer had introduced the fee “to remind consumers to be mindful of making returns due to the climate impact”.
He said: “It’s a win for the consumer, helping them to make good choices, it’s a win for the environment, with less transport and emissions, and it also will benefit our model I think over time.”
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According to Statista, just 25% of ‘unsellable’ returns are recycled, 50% end up in landfill and 25% are incinerated while many items are deemed unsellable due to the resources and cash needed to process, clean, repackage and redistribute them.
Many retailers selling trend-led pieces, such as Asos, also do not see the point of reselling them if a trend or season has moved on, resulting in more clothing waste.
The research was shown to fashion business leaders at a meeting last week held by the British Retail Consortium.
Boss Helen Dickinson said tackling unsustainable returns would benefit retailers’ bottom lines, as well as the environment.
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