Will the rise of online returns be the death of fast fashion reta

If you feel like you are forever queuing at the post office, re-wrapped parcel in hand, or waiting for a courier to collect your returns, youre not alone. Shoppers are returning more clothes than ever.

Around January is when you normally see returns peak, says Kayla Marci, a market analyst at the global retail intelligence company Edited. You have that golden period where you’ve got Black Friday, Christmas and Singles Day when there are all these sales and people are purchasing more. But this year, according to a report by the company, the returns just kept coming, reaching a two-year record of 18.96%. Thats across the board for fast fashion, sportswear and luxury. For fast fashion, returns rates can be as high as 30%.

I seem to return nearly half my orders nowadays, says one shopper, while another says she makes returns all the time. recent research shows that Gen Z consumers are driving the trend, as three-quarters of them buy online every month, purchasing an average of three items at any one time, and then returning two.