Ecommerce returns statistics
Verified, sourced ecommerce returns figures for the UK, EU, US and Canada: return rates, value, fees, fraud and the 2026 rule changes.
Data to November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026
Headline figures
The four numbers to know
One anchor figure per market, each with its year and source.
19.5%
UK online non-food return rate
2025 forecast, down from 21% in 2024. £25.1bn of non-food online purchases forecast to be returned (the value of goods sent back, not a cost to retailers).
Source: Retail Economics/ZigZag
19.3%
US online sales returned
2025. Retailer estimate from NRF and Happy Returns.
Source: NRF & Happy Returns
$849.9bn
US retail sales returned, 15.8%
2025, down from $890bn (16.9%) in 2024. This is the value of goods returned, not a cost to retailers.
Source: NRF & Happy Returns
67.5%
DACH fashion e-tailers with return rates above 20%
2026, up from 65.3% in 2025. Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Source: EHI Retail Institute
01 · United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Return rates, fees, behaviour, fraud, peak season and the law for UK online retail.
Return rates and value
19.5%
Online non-food return rate
2025 forecast, easing from 21% in 2024.
Source: Retail Economics/ZigZag
£25.1bn
Non-food online purchases forecast to be returned
2025, down from £26.7bn in 2024. Value of goods returned, not a retailer cost.
Source: Retail Economics/ZigZag
23.6%
Clothing return rate
Average share of clothing ecommerce orders returned, 2025/26.
Source: ZigZag Annual Returns Report
17.5%
Return rate across Loop's UK merchants
January to August 2025, 183 UK brands (US 11%, Australia 10.9%). A network sample, not a national rate. 78.1% of UK returns end in a refund.
UK online non-food return rate (%)
Fees and policies
76%
Of the UK's 100 largest clothing and footwear retailers charge for returns or withhold delivery refunds
2025. Typical fee £2.50 to £2.95.
Source: ZigZag
42%
Of retailers charge an explicit returns fee
2025, excluding delivery fees. Luxury 11%, young fashion 80%. Only 24 of 100 offer totally free returns.
Source: Retail Economics/ZigZag
81%
Less likely to shop with a retailer that charges for returns
January 2024. 47% say free returns would most encourage them to choose a retailer.
Source: Royal Mail
Policy influence and consumer behaviour
85.6%
Say a returns policy is very or quite important when deciding to buy online
July 2026, IMRG and nShift survey of 1,000 UK consumers.
Source: IMRG × nShift
49%
Have abandoned a clothing or footwear purchase over an unsatisfactory returns policy
2025. Millennials 60%.
Source: Retail Economics/ZigZag
Reasons, serial returners and fraud
46%
Returned because an item did not fit as expected
2025. A further 46% said quality, colour or size did not meet expectations and 33% said it was damaged.
Source: Royal Mail SME hub
12% to 8%
Fall in serial returners as a share of consumers
2024 to 2025. Serial returners generated £6.6bn of returns in 2024. Tighter policies saved a forecast £1.7bn in 2025.
Source: ZigZag
£1.3bn
Estimated annual cost of UK returns fraud, per Retail Economics
2025. 64% of UK brands say rising returns fraud is the trend with the biggest financial impact. Reported secondhand, with no primary methodology seen.
Source: FashionUnited
Cost, peak season and processing
£15+
Cost to process a returned item
2025. A secondary citation, so treat it as indicative.
Source: Royal Mail SME hub
+25%
Expected rise in returns in the first week of January 2026
Royal Mail's own wording, with Tuesday 6 January the peak day and an expected half a million items.
Source: Royal Mail via Insight DIY
UK legislation
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
14-day cancellation period for online purchases, a further 14 days to send goods back, and a refund within 14 days. In force.
Source: legislation.gov.uk
Consumer Rights Act 2015
30-day short-term right to reject faulty goods, in store and online. In force.
Source: legislation.gov.uk
Goods bought in store
There is no statutory right to return non-faulty goods bought in store. This is goodwill policy only. Unchanged.
Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015 (see above)
02 · European Union
European Union
EU-wide returns data is thin. Germany and the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) is the best-measured market, so most of the figures below come from there.
A note on coverage
There is no EU-wide return rate. The figures below come from EHI Retail Institute's DACH retailer surveys, the University of Bamberg Returns Research Group and Eurostat.
Return rates
66.7%
Of DACH online retailers have an item return rate of 10% or less
Summer 2026, 108 retailers. 23.6% exceed 20% (down from about 25%) and 18.7% report rising rates (14.7% in 2025).
Source: EHI Retail Institute
67.5%
Of fashion e-tailers have return rates above 20%
2026, up from 65.3% in 2025. Some trade press reports 67.8%, but EHI's own release says 67.5%.
Source: EHI Retail Institute
94.5%
Of consumer electronics retailers have return rates of 10% or less
2026, up from 85.7% in 2025. None are above 20%.
Source: EHI Retail Institute
about 550m
Return parcels expected in Germany
2025, a new all-time high (about 530m in 2024), based on a 24.2% return rate. 24.1% of B2C parcels are returned (2022 survey base).
Fees and costs
60.6%
Of DACH e-tailers cover return shipping in full
2026, up from 49.2% in 2025. Only 10.6% pass the full cost to customers (18.0% in 2025).
Source: EHI Retail Institute
76.2%
Absorb costs for customer satisfaction and loyalty
2026, up from 54.5% in 2025. 64.3% cite customer expectation and competition (60.6% in 2025).
Source: EHI Retail Institute
up to €5
Cost per returned item for just over 33% of retailers
2026. Almost 20% say €5 to €10, a further 15% say €10 to €20, just under 6% say over €20, and more than a quarter do not know.
Source: EHI Retail Institute
70.6%
Name return transport as the biggest cost driver
2026. Inspection and refurbishment is 52.9%, down from 63.1%.
Source: EHI Retail Institute
Consumer problems (Eurostat)
03 · United States
United States
Value and rates, fraud and abuse, fees and policy, cost and operations, and the legal position.
Value and rates
15.8%
Of retail sales returned, $849.9bn
2025, down from 16.9% and $890bn in 2024. Retailer estimates from 358 large merchants. Value of goods returned, not a cost to retailers.
Source: NRF & Happy Returns
7.7
Online returns by the average Gen Z shopper (18 to 30) in 12 months
2025, more than any other generation. 2,006 consumers surveyed.
Source: NRF & Happy Returns
$706bn
Appriss Retail's figure for 2025 returns
2025. This conflicts with NRF's $849.9bn because the two use different methods. Appriss also puts 2024 returns at $685bn (13.21% of sales) against NRF's $890bn (16.9%).
US value of returns ($bn)
Source: NRF & Happy Returns (2024, 2025), Optoro State of Returns 2024 (2023)
US returns by channel, 2025 (% of returns)
Fraud and abuse
Fraud is a range, not one number
NRF puts it at 9%, Appriss at 14.2% and Appriss with Deloitte at 15.14%. They define fraud differently, so always name the source. NRF's figure is retailer-reported, while Appriss counts abuse as well as fraud.
9%
Of all returns are fraudulent (NRF & Happy Returns)
2025. Retailer-reported. 45% of shoppers say it is acceptable to bend the rules when returning.
Source: NRF & Happy Returns
14.2%
Of returns were fraud and abuse (Appriss Retail)
2025. $100bn of preventable loss: abuse 12% (about $86bn) and fraud 2%.
Source: Appriss Retail
15.14%
Of returns were fraudulent (Appriss Retail and Deloitte)
2024. Fraudulent returns and claims cost $103bn. Wardrobing was reported by 60% of retailers and bracketing by 47%. 84% changed policies to fight fraud.
Source: Appriss Retail/Deloitte
79%
Of fraudulent returns happen in store
2025, with $4bn of cross-channel fraud where the item is bought online and returned in store.
Source: Appriss Retail
US return fraud share by source (% of returns)
Source: NRF & Happy Returns, Appriss Retail, Appriss Retail/Deloitte
Fees, policy influence and bracketing
72%
Of merchants charged for at least one return option
2025, up from 66% in 2024. Top reasons: higher processing costs (40%), carrier costs (40%), economic uncertainty and tariffs (33%).
Source: NRF via 8 News Now
82%
Say free returns are an important consideration
2025, up from 76% in 2024.
Source: NRF via eMarketer
90%
Check the returns policy before buying
2025. 76% will not buy again after a poor returns experience. Narvar surveyed 3,461 US shoppers.
Cost, operations and sustainability
30%
Average cost of processing a return, as a share of the item's price
2024, via CNBC and NBC.
Source: Optoro via NBC
20% to 65%
Range of return processing costs as a share of item value
2025. 66% of retailers say returns seriously threaten profitability. A vendor figure.
Source: Narvar
8.4bn lbs
Of returned goods sent to landfill
2023 data, a vendor estimate and the latest published.
Source: Optoro State of Returns 2024
US legislation
No federal right to return non-faulty goods
Return policies are set by retailers, with state disclosure rules in some states. Unchanged. Not separately re-verified, so confirm state rules before relying on it.
FTC Mail, Internet or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
Ship within the stated time (or 30 days if none is stated), otherwise seek consent to delay or offer a prompt refund. In force.
Source: FTC business guide
04 · Canada
Canada
Canada has no official return rate, so this section uses Canada Post's shopper behaviour surveys.
Statistics Canada does not publish a national ecommerce return rate.
Any Canadian return rate in circulation is either a US or global benchmark, or comes from a source we cannot verify. We have not invented one. The figures below are shopper behaviour surveys from Canada Post.
Canada Post shopper behaviour
70%
Of shoppers buy more from retailers that make returns easy
May 2023, Canada Post eShopper Survey.
Source: Canada Post
33%
Have bought items online intending to return them
May 2023, Canada Post eShopper Survey. This is bracketing or wardrobing behaviour.
Source: Canada Post
90%
Check the return policy at least sometimes before buying
May 2023, Canada Post.
Source: Canada Post
73%
See return policies as a sign of how much a retailer cares about customers
May 2023, Canada Post.
Source: Canada Post
48%
Are concerned about the environmental impact of online returns
2023, Canada Post.
Source: Canada Post
41%
Of returns are because items do not fit
November 2022, Canada Post Fall Omnibus (The Strategic Counsel). An older figure.
Source: Canada Post
Canadian legislation
Federal position
In Canada, businesses are not obligated to accept the return of purchased items unless they are defective. Current.
Source: ISED Office of Consumer Affairs
Ontario Consumer Protection Act, 2023 (Bill 142)
Royal Assent 6 December 2023 and not yet in force. Commencement is by proclamation, and none was found as of November 2026.
Source: Ontario e-Laws
Quebec distance contracts
You can cancel any time before receipt if goods are not delivered within 30 days of the agreed date (or of purchase), and have 7 days to cancel if mandatory information is missing. The merchant must refund within 15 days and cover reasonable return costs. There is no general change-of-mind cooling-off period. Current.
05 · What changed in 2026
What changed in 2026
Two new EU rules, one Ontario law still waiting to start, and the positions that have not changed. These are time-sensitive, so check the dates.
EU withdrawal button: applies from 19 June 2026
Directive (EU) 2023/2673 adds a mandatory online withdrawal button (a two-step electronic withdrawal function) for all B2C online sellers targeting EU consumers, including non-EU sellers. National transposition varies.
Loyens & Loeff summaryEU ban on destroying unsold apparel and footwear: applies from 19 July 2026
The ESPR ban covers large companies destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear, including consumer returns. Medium-sized firms follow from 2030.
European Commission, 9 February 2026Ontario Consumer Protection Act, 2023: still not in force
Royal Assent was 6 December 2023. Commencement is by proclamation, and none was found as of November 2026.
Ontario e-LawsUK: 14-day cancellation right unchanged
The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 still give 14 days to cancel an online purchase, a further 14 days to send goods back, and a refund within 14 days.
legislation.gov.ukCanada and the US: no general right to return non-faulty goods
In Canada, businesses are not obligated to accept returns unless the goods are defective. The US position is also unchanged, but we have not separately re-verified state rules.
ISED Office of Consumer Affairs06 · Commonly quoted figures, checked
Commonly quoted figures, checked
Sixteen figures that appear in many returns round-ups, with a verdict and the current number to use instead.
Claim
Status
Current figure and note
Source
US returns $890bn, 16.9% of sales (2024)
Verified
$890bn and 16.9% (2024). Superseded by the 2025 estimate of $849.9bn and 15.8%.
US returns $743bn, 14.5% (2023)
Outdated
$743bn and 14.5% (2023), cited in Optoro's State of Returns 2024. Replace with the 2025 figure.
US online return rate is about 20%
Corrected
19.3% of online sales (2025). Secondary sites give 20.4% for 2024, so use 19.3%.
Returns cost UK retailers £60bn a year
Unverifiable
ParcelHero white paper, undated and from before 2023, with no methodology. Use £25.1bn as the value of UK online non-food returns (2025). Value returned is not cost.
UK online returns are £27bn
Corrected
2024 value now put at £26.7bn and 2025 at £25.1bn. ZigZag's earlier forecast for 2024 was £27.3bn.
UK return rate 17.5% against US 11%
Verified
Loop's merchants only (January to August 2025). It is not a national figure, so label it as Loop merchants. The US national figure is 19.3% online (NRF).
Returns create 9.5bn lbs of US landfill and 24m t of CO₂
Outdated
2022 figure. Optoro now reports 8.4bn lbs of landfill (2023 data) and has published no newer CO₂ figure.
Processing a return costs about 30% of the item price
Verified
Optoro, via CNBC and NBC, October 2024. Narvar gives a range of 20% to 65%.
15% of US returns are fraudulent
Verified
Sources conflict: 15.14% (2024, Appriss/Deloitte), 14.2% fraud and abuse (2025, Appriss) and 9% (2025, NRF & Happy Returns). Definitions differ, so always name the source.
US return fraud is $101bn or $103bn
Verified
$103bn (2024), Appriss Retail and Deloitte. The 2025 figure is $100bn of preventable loss.
Roughly 1 in 4 German parcels is returned
Verified
24.1% of B2C parcels (EUROM 2022, reaffirmed 2025). The underlying survey dates from 2022.
30% to 40% of online clothing is returned
Unverifiable
No single sourced figure. UK clothing is 23.6% of ecommerce orders (ZigZag 2025/26) and 67.5% of DACH fashion e-tailers are above 20% (EHI 2026).
Canada: returns generate 2bn kg of waste a year
Corrected
Canada Post (January 2024) says more than 2 billion kilograms of waste is generated through returns each year but does not say it is Canadian. It matches Optoro's US figure of about 2.27bn kg. MaRS (2025) cites it as Canadian, which looks like a mis-citation.
UK returns fraud costs £1.3bn a year
Verified
Retail Economics, via FashionUnited (May 2025). Verified secondhand, with no primary methodology seen.
Canadians return 8.6% of purchases and return fraud costs Canadian retailers $1bn or more
Outdated
From around 2014 (Retail Council of Canada via CBC). Do not use as current.
07 · Methodology and how to cite
Methodology and how to cite
Where the figures come from and how far to trust them.
Vendor bias
Loop, Narvar, Optoro, ZigZag and Appriss sell returns or fraud technology. Their figures are useful but tend to emphasise the scale of the problem.
Sample bias
Loop's UK 17.5% against US 11% reflects Shopify merchants, not national markets. NRF's rates are estimates from large US retailers (over $500m revenue).
Value returned is not cost
£25.1bn and $849.9bn are the value of goods sent back, not retailer losses. For cost, use per-item figures such as EHI's €5 to €20 bands or Optoro's 30% of item price.
Gated sources
The EHI full study (members), Statista charts, Canada Post's full Rethinking Returns report and the Retail Economics/ZigZag full PDF (registration) are gated. Figures here come from public press releases and summaries.
Conflicts flagged
US 2024 returns: $890bn (NRF) against $685bn (Appriss). UK 2024 value: £27.3bn (early ZigZag forecast) against £26.7bn (later estimate). EHI fashion: 67.5% (EHI) against 67.8% (trade press).
Older data
Data from before 2023 is marked as old where it appears and is used for context only. Figures were checked on 7 November 2026 and no 2026 editions of the NRF/Happy Returns or ZigZag/Retail Economics reports had been published.
How to cite this page
Cite the original source for each figure where you can. To cite this page:
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