How Common Are Online Returns?

Return shipping not only has a high economic cost but also has an environmental impact and carries logistical implications. According to survey data from Statista Consumer Insights, many Europeans are in the habit of returning the products they buy online. This is especially true in Germany and the United Kingdom, where 50 percent or more of respondents said they had returned at least one item purchased online in the 12 months prior to the survey. This practice appears to be even more widespread among Indian and Chinese consumers, with 81 percent and 66 percent of them, respectively, reporting having returned a product purchased online in the last year.