In 2023, returns on online purchases in the United States amounted to nearly 248 billion U.S. dollars. That is an increase of about 16.4 percent compared to the previous year when the cost of e-commerce returns was approximately 213 billion U.S. dollars. The impact of free returns Numerous factors contribute to a shopper's decision to return items bought online, with varying preferences guiding their return process. Nonetheless, certain consumer preferences hold greater significance than others. In 2022, nearly 90 percent of United States consumers who returned an online order listed free returns as a one of their main e-commerce returns preference. The impact of free returns on consumer shopping behavior in the U.S. is considerable, with roughly four out of ten consumers indicating a strong likelihood of discontinuing purchases from a brand if it were to remove the option of free returns. Paying for returns: U.S. vs. EU The willingness of consumers to pay for e-commerce returns varies across countries. Despite resistance from many U.S. online shoppers, the North American country still boasts one of the largest shares of consumers willing to invest in online returns. Moreover, a 2022 survey conducted among consumers in the U.S. and selected European countries revealed that the percentage of shoppers anticipating free online returns was higher in Italy, Belgium, France, and Spain compared to the United States.

Spain was the country with the highest return rate of online retail purchases in 2023 according to aggregate data of the Mastercard Economic Institute. In 2023, Spaniards returned a quarter of e-commerce retail purchases, while Germans returned over 20 percent, more than doubling their return rate from 2019.

In 2023, 44 percent of online consumers surveyed identified the leading marketplace in their region as the channel offering the easiest returns process. Retailer sites ranked second, with 11 percent of respondents. However, 12 percent indicated that none of the listed options provided an easy returns process.

In 2023, about 14.5 percent of (in-store and online) retail purchases in the United States resulted in returns. That compares to a decrease from the previous year. The e-commerce boom resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic also led to record return rates among U.S. shoppers, peaking in 2021, when they made up 16.6 percent of all purchases.

The displayed data on the return of online purchases shows a country comparison from the Consumer Insights Global survey. As of June 2023, some 53 percent of respondents in the United Kingdom stated that they sent back an article after ordering it online in the past 12 months. Access millions of exclusive survey results with Statista Consumer Insights.

Retail purchase returns, whether online or in-store, are a growing challenge for the retail industry, resulting in high costs. In 2023, the total value of online shopping returns was an estimated 248 billion U.S. dollars. With the continuous surge in online sales, the ramifications on in-store returns are also on the rise. While 17.6 percent of online transactions were returned via online channels, nearly half of all in-store returns stemmed from online purchases.

From 2023 to 2024 the share of returned clothing items purchased online slightly increased by 0.2 percentage points. By 2027, the online return rate of clothing orders is expected to reach 8.9 percent.

In 2022, eight out of ten U.S. online shoppers who had returned an order said they did so because the item was damaged or defective. In addition, three-quarters of e-commerce consumers had made a return because the item didn't fit, while 56 percent stated that the item did not match the description.

In 2020, 20 percent of the cash on delivery orders were returned. This demarks a decrease compared to 2019 by more than five percent. Similarly, the total returns per forward order have decreased a little by less than five percent. The returns on prepaid orders have largely remained the same with only one percent change.

In 2022, the rate of fashion item-related returns was almost 34 percent in Germany. This was higher compared to rest of Europe where the rate was around 19 percent. Furthermore, the fashion category had by far the highest rate of returns compared with other categories both in Germany and Europe.

In a 2022 study, about half of the surveyed online shoppers in the United Kingdom (UK) reported returning their orders occasionally. Just eight percent of respondents sent back products all of the time, while 15 percent said they did so most of the time. Despite the high frequency of returning online orders in the UK, many shoppers still do not send back items, with one-third of shoppers reporting that they never do so.

A survey conducted between 2023 and 2024 revealed that most online purchase returns were completed at home without any issues, with six in ten consumers reporting this. Additionally, more than a third stated they completed their return in-store or with a delivery agent, also without hassle.

By 2023 and 2024, the share of returned online purchases was over 10 percent in both cases, considering those who only shop for fashion accessories and the ones who buy goods in general. The prediction for the years to come up to 2027 is that the return rate will continue over 10 percent for e-fashion and close to 20 percent for general items.

When asked about "Most returned online purchases by category", most U.S. respondents pick "Clothing" as an answer. 24 percent did so in our online survey in 2024. Looking to gain valuable insights about customers of online shops across the globe? Check out our

The return order volume for purchases made online was at 15.8 percent in 2022 in India. This was a decrease as compared to the previous year when the return volume stood at over 17 percent. Moreover, the majority of the returns belonged to the fashion segment under apparel and footwear.

In Europe, clothing items had the highest fashion return rates in 2022, a study revealed. About 54 percent of dress purchases got returned, while skirts followed with roughly 47 percent. Being a popular category among online shoppers, shoewear reached significant online return rates, too. Over 45 percent of backless slippers orders were sent back in the considered year.

In 2022, return fraud and e-commerce policy abuse were found to be more prevalent among younger buyers. Almost two-thirds of shoppers aged 18 to 29 admitted to engaging in these fraudulent practices while shopping online, whereas this proportion was three times lower among those aged 60 and above.

According to a 2022 survey, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of U.S. shoppers would be much more likely to shop at an online store if returns were offered free of charge. In addition, a quarter of respondents said they were a little more likely to make online purchases if they could return them at no additional cost. Meanwhile, 13 percent said this would have no impact at all.

Out of the 210 retailers taking part in a survey in the United States in 2023, 29 percent required shoppers to contact customer support to initiate the return process. Almost a fourth of retailers offered the possibility to obtain a shipping lable or QR code in their website. 18 percent included a shipping label with the package in case the customer wanted to return the goods.

The revenue in the e-commerce market in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 657.8 billion U.S. dollars (+53.79 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the indicator is estimated to reach 1.9 trillion U.S. dollars and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the revenue of the e-commerce market was continuously increasing over the past years.Find other key market indicators concerning the average revenue per user (ARPU) and number of users. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.