Could Returns Unlock Growth for Retailers?
Returns have evolved from a back-end operational issue into one of ecommerce’s biggest strategic challenges, influencing profitability, customer loyalty and supply chain resilience. As online shopping continues to grow, so does the volume of products being sent back, with 30–40% of ecommerce purchases in Europe returned, which is more than double the in-store rate (nshift, 2025).
The scale is significant, according to the National Retail Federation (2025), retailers expect nearly 20% of annual sales to be returned, equating to almost $850 billion in merchandise value. As consumers increasingly expect shopping, and returning, to be fast and frictionless, retailers are being forced to rethink returns not simply as a cost, but as a critical part of the customer experience and a new area for innovation.
Why did I buy my cat 3 little hats on Instagram last night?
As ecommerce and social commerce continue to grow, shopping has become more immediate and embedded in daily life.
Nearly half of Gen Z teens and 59% of adults shop online weekly (Mintel, 2026), with over 70% of Gen Z and Millennials purchasing through smartphones. The ease of buying in just a few taps, combined with trend-led and impulse purchases, has significantly increased returns as well as normalised behaviours like ‘bracketing’, which is ordering multiple sizes or styles with the intention of returning some (NRF, 2025). In categories such as women’s apparel, return rates can reach almost 90%, creating significant pressure on retailers’ margins and logistics operations (DHL, 2026).
Returns are no longer simply a sign of dissatisfaction, they have become intertwined with how consumers shop online. And consumers increasingly expect the returns process to be just as easy as the online checkout. This matters when 75% of shoppers say they would abandon a retailer after a frustrating returns experience, according to our recent Post & Parcel Trend Report.
No printer, no problem
The response has been a wave of innovation in reverse logistics, with retailers expanding parcel locker networks, QR-code based labelless returns and local drop-off points to make returns faster and more convenient while reducing transport distances (Retail Gazette, 2026).
These solutions are designed around changing consumer habits, when 44% of Europeans aged 18–34 no longer have access to a printer at home, expecting customers to print return labels feels increasingly outdated (nshift, 2025). Parcel lockers, in particular, are gaining momentum, with 41% of consumers now receiving parcels this way and 44% using them to send parcels, helping retailers to reduce failed deliveries while improving customer experience and giving shoppers greater flexibility and control (Talking Retail, 2026).
Buy in seconds, return in slow motion, question life choices in between
Returns are being redesigned for the device consumers already rely on the most - their smartphones! The impact for retailers is measurable - 30% of shoppers using paperless returns send the items back on the same day they initiate the return - which is helping retailers recover stock faster and potentially reduce losses (Rebound, 2026).
stampfree.ai allows consumers to manage returns through familiar platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, TikTok and Instagram, turning the process into a simple chat that takes a minute, rather than requiring extra apps or multiple steps.
In 2026, the retailers gaining an advantage may not be those reducing returns altogether, but those rethinking them, turning an unavoidable cost into a smoother customer experience and a more efficient recovery process.
References
- DHL (2026) Reverse logistics goes from cost center to competitive edge, DHL data shows. Available at: https://group.dhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2026/reverse-logistics-goes-from-cost-center-to-competitive-edge-dhl-data-shows.html (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- Mintel (2026) Gen Z online shopping behaviour and trends: what brands need to know. Available at: https://www.mintel.com/insights/retail/gen-z-online-shopping-behaviour-and-trends-what-brands-need-to-know/ (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- National Retail Federation (NRF) (2025) Consumers expected to return nearly $850 billion in merchandise in 2025. Available at: https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/consumers-expected-to-return-nearly-850-billion-in-merchandise-in-2025 (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- nShift (2025) Why label-less returns are the future of urban e-commerce. Available at: https://nshift.com/blog/why-label-less-returns-are-the-future-of-urban-e-commerce (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- ReBOUND Returns (2026) Ditching the paper: how paperless returns can revolutionize your brand’s return experience. Available at: https://www.reboundreturns.com/insights-resources/ditching-the-paper-how-paperless-returns-can-revolutionize-your-brands-return-experience/ (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- Retail Gazette (2026) Are parcel lockers becoming a serious supply chain play for retailers? Available at: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/03/are-parcel-lockers-becoming-a-serious-supply-chain-play-for-retailers/ (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- Talking Retail (2026) UK hits delivery tipping point as parcel lockers become favoured choice, research shows. Available at: https://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/uk-hits-delivery-tipping-point-as-parcel-lockers-become-favoured-choice-research-shows-19-02-2026/ (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- TheIndustry.fashion (2026) Gen Z serial returners surge as traditional returns deterrents lose impact. Available at: https://www.theindustry.fashion/gen-z-serial-returners-surge-as-traditional-returns-deterrents-lose-impact/ (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
- Whistl (2026) Research shows how Gen Z and Millennials are shopping online. Available at: https://www.whistl.co.uk/insights/research-shows-how-gen-z-and-millennials-are-shopping-online (Accessed: 22 May 2026).
