Recently, I came across an article stating that Zara will now require customers to pay for returns of their purchased clothes.
Zara claims that this new policy has been well-received in the markets where it has been implemented and has not impacted sales negatively. Instead, there have been two positive effects: an increase in in-store returns and a reduction in the return period.
The fashion industry has one of the highest return rates, which greatly affects the companies' profits. The group also mentioned that from a sustainability standpoint, customers understand that this trend of charging for returns will become more common in the industry in the upcoming years.
One of the challenges faced by the e-commerce fashion industry is the desire to provide excellent customer service. However, some customers tend to take advantage of the free return policy offered by many companies. Reasons for returning items include purchasing multiple sizes and returning those that do not fit, buying clothes to take photos for social media and then returning them, or even wearing the clothes for a few hours before returning them. In this last case, I wonder if it would be easier for companies to offer a rental service for their clothes, which would allow customers to rent and use the items before returning them. This approach could benefit both the company and the customer.
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