Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Shoppers More Likely To Return Items Bought Online Than in Store (axios.com)

Posted by msmash on from the user-behavior dept.

From a report: Almost a third of all online orders are returned compared to only 9% of purchases made in a brick-and-mortar store, according to Bloomberg. This is largely due to free shipping offered by most companies, which has also caused an increase of online purchases by almost three times those of physical stores. Why it matters: Returns can be costly for online companies -- anywhere from 20-65% of the cost of goods sold a UPS study found.

2 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Broken stuff by XXongo · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Well, on a real-world store you can look at stuff before you buy it-- for the most part, you can pick up the very same object that you will later own. With an online store, you're buying something you've never seen.

    Also, a lot of online stores sell broken crap-- possibly stuff that previous customers had returned that they're still trying to get rid of.

    1. Re:Broken stuff by arth1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Also, clothing: my wife will order 4 outfits and return 3 of them. Why not?

      Because all customers have to foot the bill for your wife's returns. It's selfish, and everyone else have to pay higher prices.