6 Common Retail Return Reasons (And Why You Should Care)

In ecommerce, the inability to experience an item before purchase introduces uncertainty—and risk. Yet, returns are a critical part of the customer journey. In fact, consumers are spending more time engaging with a brand after making a purchase, causing the post-purchase experience—including returns—to become the new battleground for consumer consideration and loyalty.

Understanding the reason behind every return unlocks an opportunity: to protect revenue, retain loyal consumers, and increase operational efficiency.

Below are seven common return reasons, why they matter, and how ecommerce leaders can take action “Beyond Buy.”

Reason for returns #1: It doesn’t fit.

From t-shirts to sofas, size matters—and for consumers, poor fit is the #1 reason for returns. In fact, 42% of consumers cited size and fit issues as the reason for their last return. That’s not just a logistical headache. It’s a loss of revenue. 

Fit-related returns are costly, avoidable, and often preventable with better sizing guidance at the point of purchase. When product description pages (PDPs) lack accurate, detailed, and personalized sizing information, consumers are forced to guess. And when they guess wrong, you risk not only a return, but also a lost sale and damaged brand trust.

Improving fit accuracy directly supports revenue retention by reducing return rates and streamlining operations. It also elevates the consumer experience—instilling confidence at checkout and reinforcing loyalty post-purchase.

At a minimum, your PDPs should offer:

• Multiple, product-relevant points of measurement (e.g. inseam for pants, seat depth for furniture)
• Clear instructions for how to measure each point on the body
• Brand-specific size charts if you carry multiple brands

Retailers like Universal Standard are setting the bar with tools like their ‘Find My Size’ feature, which walks consumers through the measurement process to ensure the right fit, the first time.

Interactive tools can also be helpful when it comes to sizing. For example, Uniqlo’s MySize Assist tool lets customers input their measurements to view recommended sizes based on the measurements of previous buyers.

That said, no matter how much effort you put into describing your items’ sizing, you may still need to contend with an uptick in bracketing, when customers buy multiple versions of an item, try them at home, and then return those that don’t work.

Our 2021 report found that 58% of consumers engage in bracketing, intentionally buying more goods than they intend to keep.

Bracketing can be challenging for retailers, as it ties up inventory and increases both return costs and labor requirements. The good news, however, is that our 2020 report found that 29% of surveyed consumers say they “only bracket when sizing or other options aren’t clear.” 

Increasing clarity on your PDPs may reduce returns due to bracketing among these shoppers.

Another way to ease the pain of wrong-size returns is to implement returns management software that requires customers to input return reasons. This can help you identify discrepancies early, then quickly update product information to help prevent more returns down the line.

Reason for returns #2: It’s different than described.

When a product looks, feels, or functions differently than expected, the result is often disappointment—and a return. Whether it’s a color that doesn’t match the photo, a material that feels cheaper than it looks, or a scent that catches someone off guard, consumers are quick to return items that don’t align with the promise made on the PDP.

These mismatches erode trust and chip away at loyalty. If a consumer feels misled—even unintentionally—they’re less likely to come back for future purchases. And that erosion of trust comes at a cost: lost revenue, lower retention, and higher operational strain.

Improving the accuracy, clarity, and depth of your product content is one of the most effective ways to protect against these avoidable returns. It also plays a direct role in revenue retention by reducing refund volumes.

Best practices include:

• Using high-quality images from multiple angles and in different lighting
• Including video or 360° views where possible
• Offering detailed descriptions of materials, dimensions, textures, and real-world use cases
• Regularly reviewing return reason data to flag—and fix—common mismatches

By analyzing return reason codes and consumer feedback at scale, retailers can continuously refine PDPs and reduce friction in the buying journey. What starts as a small improvement in product accuracy can lead to outsized gains in consumer loyalty and brand equity.

The bottom line? Accurate PDPs don’t just prevent returns—they preserve relationships.

Reason for returns #3: It’s damaged.

There’s nothing more frustrating than winning a consumer only to lose them because their order arrives damaged. You’ve invested in marketing, merchandising, and conversion, but a shipping mishap or poor packaging undermines the entire experience. Worse, it erodes trust and inflates costs with replacement items, shipping fees, customer support overhead, and lost lifetime value.

Damage-related returns are painful, but with the right tools and policies in place, you can mitigate the operational burden and preserve the relationship.

Operational efficiency starts with smarter workflows. By implementing automated damage reporting, instant refund or replacement options, and conditional “keep-the-item” policies, you remove friction for the consumer and reduce costs on your side. In fact, 87% of consumers say they’re more likely to shop again with a retailer who lets them keep an item they tried to return—especially if it’s slightly damaged but still usable.

Smart return workflows improve operational efficiency while enhancing the consumer experience — creating a win-win scenario. And the benefits don’t stop at logistics. These moments of friction are also opportunities to surprise and delight: a “we’re on it” email, a one-click replacement, or a small credit toward their next order can turn frustration into loyalty.

Reason for returns #4: It arrived late.

Late deliveries aren’t just a logistics hiccup—they’re a leading cause of returns and a major threat to consumer trust. And once trust is broken, so is the path to loyalty.

While delays may be driven by factors outside a retailer’s control—carrier issues, supply chain disruptions, or weather events—the consumer still holds the brand accountable. When expectations are missed, consumers are more likely to return the item, cancel future orders, or defect to a competitor entirely.

That’s where Narvar Promise comes in. Promise empowers retailers to display accurate estimated delivery dates (EDDs) directly at checkout, building confidence before the order is even placed. Instead of vague windows, consumers get clear, AI-powered delivery expectations tailored by SKU, carrier, fulfillment location, and even zip code.

And when the order shows up on time? Trust is reinforced. In fact, 90% of consumers say reliability matters more than speed. That means delivering on your promise is more important than delivering overnight.

The benefits go beyond consumer satisfaction. Accurate EDDs reduce WISMO calls, curb cancellations, and improve operational efficiency across the board—from fulfillment planning to customer care staffing.

Reason for returns #5: The wrong item was sent.

Mistakes happen—even the most sophisticated retailers occasionally ship the wrong item. But in today’s retail environment, how you respond when things go wrong can matter more than the error itself.

When consumers receive the wrong item, frustration builds quickly. If your resolution process is clunky—manual, delayed, or overly reliant on customer service calls—you risk not just a return, but a lost customer.

That’s where operational efficiency becomes a strategic advantage. A streamlined, self-service return experience allows consumers to quickly report errors online, receive clear next steps, and get the correct item sent without jumping through hoops.

By proactively smoothing over friction in the post-purchase journey, you not only reduce strain on your customer care team, but also boost trust and retention. Consumers are more forgiving when a mistake is resolved quickly and efficiently—and more likely to come back and buy again.

Ultimately, simplifying returns and re-deliveries doesn’t just protect your brand reputation—it drives cost savings, reduces support volume, and ensures your operations can scale without sacrificing customer experience.

Reason for returns #6: Items are a poor value

This reason for return is one of the hardest to address. There’s nothing wrong with your item, it fits fine, and it was delivered on-time. Your customer just doesn’t feel it’s worth the money.

Whether or not you make changes based on this return reason will likely depend on the frequency with which you hear it. An occasional return due to poor value may be unavoidable. 

But if you receive it on a regular basis, it may be time to re-evaluate either your pricing strategy or the marketing language you’re using to describe the product’s value. 

Reason for returns #7: I just don’t like it.

Consumers can be fickle. Your product page can be 100% accurate, you can do everything you can to ensure a positive experience, and the delivery can arrive as expected. But that doesn’t mean that some customers might not turn around at the end of the day and say, “Meh. Turns out this isn’t for me.”

You may not be able to prevent this from happening, but you can take steps to ensure it won’t cause much trouble for you or your customer. Implement an online returns initiation process to gather feedback about why a customer found a product undesirable. This also lets you identify returns of resalable items before they’re sent back, and optimize their routes back to a fulfillment center or store. And more importantly, you’ll instill confidence in that customer to buy from you again in the future.

Returns are an inevitable part of ecommerce, but they don’t have to be merely a cost center. By addressing these common return reasons with smarter product pages, clearer communication, and streamlined resolution workflows, retailers can protect revenue, retain loyal consumers, and operate more efficiently at scale.

Returns are no longer just a backend issue—they’re a strategic lever in the broader consumer experience. To understand how return behaviors are shifting and what consumers expect today, download our 2024 State of Returns report.