Online Returns in the UK, 2018 – 2023

Powered by

All the vital news, analysis, and commentary curated by our industry experts.

The “Online Returns in the UK, 2018 – 2023”, report forms part of GlobalData’s Retail Channels series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer and market dynamics of the online returns channel. The report analyses the channel, the main trends, and consumer attitudes towards online returns.

The value of the online returns channel is forecast to rise 27.3% out to 2023 and although online sales growth will outpace the growth of the returns channel, retailers need to be prepared for this increase to successfully handle higher volumes and retain high customer satisfaction.

The clothing & footwear sector has the highest returns rate and makes up the lion’s share of the returns channel, which is unsurprising due to the importance of fit as a driver of returns.

Scope

– Despite significant growth in other sectors, including health & beauty, clothing & footwear will continue to dominate returns and will continue to account for the lion’s share of the channel.

– Health & beauty, entertainment and books are the sectors that are least returned by customers due to the lower value of products.

– Postal returns remain the most popular return method, with 44.6% of online returns being made by post, despite growth in alternative options.

Reasons to Buy

– Use our in-depth consumer and market insight to learn about the forecast for online returns for the different sectors, and the related hot issues of the online returns channel.

– Understand why and how consumers return products in different sectors online.

– Use consumer opinions about online returns to inform your online returns propositions.

ASOS
Amazon
Next
Topshop
JD Sports
Klarna
H&M
PrettyLittleThing
The Perfume Shop
Hermes
Boots
Wiggle
AO.com
Royal Mail
Doddle
Collect+
DPD
Sports Direct
IKEA
Feelunique
Dobbies
Made.com
Sosandar
House of Fraser

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

THE HOT ISSUES

Main issues in e-retail

Delivery saver schemes and try before you buy initiatives will drive up returns

Retailers must place the same importance on improving returns as on fulfilment services

Fit technology to reduce clothing & footwear returns

WHAT PEOPLE RETURN

Headlines

The channel at a glance

Overall channel size

Channel in context

Sector returns penetration

Returns channel split by sector and parcel size

WHO RETURNS

Headlines

Who returns

Books

Clothing & footwear

DIY & gardening

Electricals

Food & grocery (gifting)

Furniture & floorcoverings

Health & beauty

Homewares

Entertainment

HOW AND WHY PEOPLE RETURN

Headlines

Opinions on online returns

How people return

How people return by sector

Why purchases were returned by sector

Cost of returns by sector

METHODOLOGY

What is included

Table

List of Tables

Examples of delivery saver schemes

Returns channel split by sector, 2018 sector share and value, 2023 sector share and value and five year growth by sector

Returns channel split by sector and parcel size, 2018

Figures

List of Figures

Size of the returns channel: 2017, 2018 & 2023

Returns share of online retail spend: 2017, 2018 & 2023

Growth of online returns and online spend: 2018- 2023

Sector returns penetration, 2018

Share of returns channel size by parcel size, 2017 & 2018

Overall sector penetration of shoppers who have returned goods online, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Books, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Books, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Clothing & footwear, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Clothing & footwear, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: DIY & gardening, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: DIY & gardening, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Electricals, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Electricals, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Food & grocery (gifting), by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Food & grocery (gifting), by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Furniture & floorcoverings, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Furniture & floorcoverings, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Health & beauty, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Health & beauty, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Homewares, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Homewares, by demographic, 2018

Returns penetration of online shoppers: Entertainment, by demographic, 2018

Returns profile of online shoppers: Entertainment, by demographic, 2018

Statements around online returns, 2018

How items were returned: Total, 2018

How items were returned: Books, 2018

How items were returned: Clothing & footwear, 2018

How items were returned: DIY & gardening, 2018

How items were returned: Electricals, 2018

How items were returned: Food & grocery (gifting), 2018

How items were returned: Furniture & floorcoverings, 2018

How items were returned: Health & beauty, 2018

How items were returned: Homewares, 2018

How items were returned: Entertainment, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Total excluding clothing & footwear, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Books, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Clothing & footwear, 2018

Drivers of online returns: DIY & gardening, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Electricals, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Food & grocery (gifting), 2018

Drivers of online returns: Furniture & floorcoverings, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Health & beauty, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Homewares, 2018

Drivers of online returns: Entertainment, 2018

Cost of online returns: Books, 2018

Cost of online returns: Clothing & footwear, 2018

Cost of online returns: DIY & gardening, 2018

Cost of online returns: Electricals, 2018

Cost of online returns: Food & grocery (gifting), 2018

Cost of online returns: Furniture & floorcoverings, 2018

Cost of online returns: Health & beauty, 2018

Cost of online returns: Homewares, 2018

Cost of online returns: Entertainment, 2018

Frequently asked questions

Online Returns in the UK, 2018 – 2023 standard reports
Currency USD
$5,750

Can be used by individual purchaser only

$17,250

Can be shared globally by unlimited users within the purchasing corporation e.g. all employees of a single company


Undecided about purchasing this report?

Enquire Before Buying Request a Free Sample

Get in touch to find out about multi-purchase discounts

reportstore@globaldata.com
Tel +44 20 7947 2745

Every customer’s requirement is unique. With over 220,000 construction projects tracked, we can create a tailored dataset for you based on the types of projects you are looking for. Please get in touch with your specific requirements and we can send you a quote.

Sample Report

Online Returns in the UK, 2018 – 2023 was curated by the best experts in the industry and we are confident about its unique quality. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer free sample pages to help you:

  • Assess the relevance of the report
  • Evaluate the quality of the report
  • Justify the cost

Download your copy of the sample report and make an informed decision about whether the full report will provide you with the insights and information you need.

Below is a sample report to understand what you are buying

See what our customers are saying

“The GlobalData platform is our go-to tool for intelligence services. GlobalData provides an easy way to access comprehensive intelligence data around multiple sectors, which essentially makes it a one-for-all intelligence platform, for tendering and approaching customers.

GlobalData is very customer orientated, with a high degree of personalised services, which benefits everyday use. The highly detailed project intelligence and forecast reports can be utilised across multiple departments and workflow scopes, from operational to strategic level, and often support strategic decisions. GlobalData Analytics and visualisation solutions has contributed positively when preparing management presentations and strategic papers.”

Business Intelligence & Marketing Manager, SAL Heavy Lift

“COVID-19 has caused significant interference to our business and the COVID-19 intelligence from GlobalData has helped us reach better decisions around strategy. These two highlights have helped enormously to understand the projections into the future concerning our business units, we also utilise the project database to source new projects for Liebherr-Werk to use as an additional source to pitch for new business.”

Market Analyst & Management, Liebherr-Werk

Your daily news has saved me a lot of time and keeps me up-to-date with what is happening in the market, I like that you almost always have a link to the source origin. We also use your market data in our Strategic Business Process to support our business decisions. By having everything in one place on the Intelligence Center it has saved me a lot of time versus looking on different sources, the alert function also helps with this.

Head of Key Accounts, Saab AB

Having used several other market research companies, I find that GlobalData manages to provide that ‘difficult-to-get’ market data that others can’t, as well as very diverse and complete consumer surveys.

Marketing Intelligence Manager, Portugal Foods

Our experience with GlobalData has been very good, from the platform itself to the people. I find that the analysts and the account team have a high level of customer focus and responsiveness and therefore I can always rely on. The platform is more holistic than other providers. It is convenient and almost like a one stop shop. The pricing suite is highly competitive and value for our organisation.

I like reports that inform new segments such as the analysis on generation Z, millennials, the impact of COVID 19 to our banking customers and their new channel habits. Secondly the specialist insight on affluent sector significantly increases our understanding about this group of customers. The combination of those give us depth and breadth of the evolving market.

I’m in the business of answering and helping people make decisions so with the intelligence center I can do that, effectively and efficiently. I can share quickly key insights that answer and satisfy our country stakeholders by giving them many quality studies and primary research about competitive landscape beyond the outlook of our bank. It helps me be seen as an advisory partner and that makes a big difference. A big benefit of our subscription is that no one holds the whole data and because it allows so many people, so many different parts of our organisation have access, it enables all teams to have the same level of knowledge and decision support.

Head of Customer Insight and Research, Standard Chartered

“I know that I can always rely on Globaldata’s work when I’m searching for the right consumer and market insights. I use Globaldata insights to understand the changing market & consumer landscape and help create better taste & wellbeing solutions for our customers in food, beverage and healthcare industries.

Globaldata has the right data and the reports are of very high quality compared to your competitors. Globaldata not only has overall market sizes & consumer insights on food & beverages but also provides insights at the ingredient & flavour level. That is key for B2B companies like Givaudan. This way we understand our customers’ business and also gain insight to our unique industry”

Head of Consumer Sensory Insights, Givaudan

GlobalData provides a great range of information and reports on various sectors that is highly relevant, timely, easy to access and utilise.  The reports and data dashboards help engagement with clients; they provide valuable industry and market insights that can enrich client conversations and can help in the shaping of value propositions. Moreover, using GlobalData products has helped increase my knowledge of the finance sector, the players within it, and the general threats and opportunities.

I find the consumer surveys that are carried out to be extremely beneficial and not something I have seen anywhere else. They provided an insightful view of why and which consumers take (or don’t) particular financial products. This can help shape conversations with clients to ensure they make the right strategic decisions for their business.

One of the challenges I have found is that data in the payments space is often piecemeal. With GD all of the data I need is in one place, but it also comes with additional market reports that provide useful extra context and information. Having the ability to set-up alerts on relevant movements in the industry, be it competitors or customers, and have them emailed directly to me, ensures I get early sight of industry activity and don’t have to search for news.

Senior Account Manager, TSYS
Go even deeper with GlobalData Intelligence Center

Every Company Report we produce is powered by the GlobalData Intelligence Center.

Subscribing to our intelligence platform means you can monitor developments at Online Returns in the UK, 2018 – 2023 in real time.

  • Access a live Online Returns in the UK, 2018 – 2023 dashboard for 12 months, with up-to-the-minute insights.
  • Fuel your decision making with real-time deal coverage and media activity.
  • Turn insights on financials, deals, products and pipelines into powerful agents of commercial advantage.