High Street stores such as Next, Uniqlo and Zara have already implemented return charges, and Boohoo is set to join them.
Since the pandemic, online retailers have seen a massive increase in sales. However, this also means a massive increase in returns. In the early days of the pandemic, buying habits turned to loungewear, the majority of which was kept. Now, the return of more regular social events means more is being returned.
Being an online retailer, Boohoo are possibly suffering more than the high street stores. Customers will buy multiple items in different colours and sizes, and most likely only keep one
Now, Boohoo customers will now be charged £1.99 for each delivery they make.
How Will Returns Work?
Implemented on July 4, Boohoo customers will have £1.99 deducted from the amount returned to them. This will apply to each return, instead of each returned item. So, if you returned multiple items from the same order separately, you will pay £1.99 each time.
The increase in returns mean more time is spent on processing these returns. Therefore, if customers are making single returns with multiple items in, processing takes less time. Of course, the fee is there to deter returns anyway.
Other Retailers Charging For Returns
High Street retailer Next has already started charging for online returns. Customers have to pay £2.50 for their items to be collected from home and you have to ring to send it back through to the post office. Zara has also recently announced that they will begin charging customers £1.95 for returning online purchases.
Some have praised the decision, suggesting that it is a way to lower a company’s C02 emissions. Others are outraged that these changed are coming into effect without a proper announcement.
Purchases returned in store are still free for these companies, a policy hoping to drive in-store sales more.
However, as Boohoo is purely online, will this decision, and the possibility of increased prices, just deter customers more?