{"id":3762,"date":"2025-05-15T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T16:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.rithum.com\/?post_type=press&#038;p=3762"},"modified":"2025-09-23T15:24:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T15:24:55","slug":"rithums-2025-global-returns-profit-impact-report","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.rithum.com\/press\/rithums-2025-global-returns-profit-impact-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Rithum\u2019s 2025 Global Returns &amp; Profit Impact Report uncovers consumer expectations and strategic opportunities for retailers and brands struggling with returns management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>ATLANTA,&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>May 15, 2025 \u2013<\/strong>&nbsp;Rithum, a leading global commerce solutions provider, today released its 2025 Global Returns &amp; Profit Impact Report, which uncovers how return policies are increasingly shaping purchasing decisions. With insights broken down across countries, product categories, consumer age groups, and more, the report highlights what brands and retailers can do to reclaim margin in a return-heavy economy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returns have become deeply ingrained in the online shopping journey with 60% of global consumers making a return in the past 12 months and apparel and electronics leading all categories. Yet returns are not merely reactive: 36% of consumers globally admit to overbuying with the intention to return, signaling a shift toward strategic return behaviors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cReturns are no longer a post-purchase afterthought\u2014they\u2019re shaping buying decisions,\u201d said&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lou-keyes-94734b3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lou Keyes<\/a>, CEO at Rithum. \u201cFor brands and retailers, the return experience has become a critical business lever, not just a logistical function. The businesses that adapt can turn them from a cost center into a competitive advantage.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This report surveyed more than 6,000 global consumers across the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany. Some key insights shaping returns in 2025 include:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-online-product-presentation-makes-or-breaks-post-purchase-satisfaction\"><strong>Online product presentation makes or breaks post-purchase satisfaction.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As digital shopping becomes more visual and distributed across platforms, inaccurate product listings fuel returns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>61% of consumers cite poor fit as the main reason for returning items\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>33% returned products that didn\u2019t match their online description or images\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Half of shoppers rely heavily on customer reviews when buying clothing or shoes<br>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-return-policies-are-deal-breakers-and-brand-loyalty-hinges-on-them\"><strong>Return policies are deal breakers\u2014and brand loyalty hinges on them.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Consumers are increasingly using return policies as a deciding factor in where they shop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>88% expect free returns as a standard offering\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>41% say they consider return policies before making a purchase\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>47% have stopped shopping at a retailer because of an unfavorable return policy\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-return-behavior-varies-by-region-underscoring-the-need-for-localized-strategies\"><strong>Return behavior varies by region, underscoring the need for localized strategies.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With return rates differing by as much as 20 percentage points between countries, brands can\u2019t afford a one-size-fits-all approach.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>57% of German consumers and 64% of French consumers consider a return window of 14 days or less to be reasonable, compared to much longer expectations in North America\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over 60% of fashion items are refunded in parts of Europe, where shoppers frequently order multiple sizes or colors with the intention of returning\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>54% of electronics are returned in Germany and 51% in the UK, while beauty and personal care returns are more frequent in North America<br>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-fashion-industry-continues-to-lead-in-return-volume-and-intentional-overbuying-is-widespread\"><strong>The fashion industry continues to lead in return volume\u2014and intentional overbuying is widespread.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The apparel sector experiences the highest return volume, with many shoppers bracketing purchases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>68% of consumers returned clothing or footwear in the past year\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>36% admitted to \u201cbracketing\u201d: intentionally buying multiples to try on at home and return\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>50% of shoppers under 35 say they commonly buy more items than they need with the intent to return\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs consumers look to get more for their money, they want to trust that they\u2019ll get what they paid for,\u201d said&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/swold\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Suzin Wold<\/a>, CMO at Rithum. \u201cWhen product content and return policies don\u2019t match the actual experience, it breaks that trust. Today\u2019s shoppers expect accurate, detailed listings\u2014and anything less risks both returns and lost loyalty.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rithum empowers brands and retailers to turn returns from a margin drain into a business advantage. With solutions that support accurate product listings, AI-driven categorization, SKU-level profitability insights, and localized return policy management, Rithum helps retailers get ahead of returns before they happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To view Rithum\u2019s full 2025 Global Returns &amp; Profit Impact Report, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rithum.com\/resources\/returns-report\/?utm_campaign=brand+awareness&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=business+wire&amp;utm_content=returns+report+-+link+to+report+inside+press+release+-+q22025&amp;utm_term=offer-gatedasset&amp;personalization=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-3762","press","type-press","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rithum\u2019s 2025 Global Returns &amp; Profit Impact Report uncovers consumer expectations and strategic opportunities for retailers and brands struggling with returns management | Rithum<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rithum.com\/press\/rithums-2025-global-returns-profit-impact-report\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rithum\u2019s 2025 Global Returns &amp; Profit Impact Report uncovers consumer expectations and strategic opportunities for retailers and brands struggling with returns management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"ATLANTA,&nbsp;May 15, 2025 \u2013&nbsp;Rithum, a leading global commerce solutions provider, today released its 2025 Global Returns &amp; Profit Impact Report, which uncovers how return policies are increasingly shaping purchasing decisions. 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