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Returns statistics for returns in online retailing

Returns statistics - Facts & figures on returns in online retailing 2022/2023

Are you looking for meaningful Returns statistics for online retail? Then you've come to the right place. Online retail is growing and growing - and with it, of course, the number of returns. With serious consequences for retailers and our environment.

In this article, I will therefore provide you with facts and figures about returns of online orders. These will show you why it is so important, Consciously avoid returns.

Notice: If you are using any of the returns statistics from this post, please cite the following source. Thank you for your support!

https://www.careelite.de/retouren-ruecksendungen-statistik-fakten

Basic returns statistics

Germany is the country where online orders are returned. There is no other way to put it. The following statistics at least leave no doubt about it:

  • 280 million parcel returns were counted in German online retail in 2018.₁
  • Total 487 million items were returned in German online retail in 2018.₂
  • 238,000 tons of CO2 were emitted in German online retail in 2018 for avoidable returns.₃
  • With 500 grams CO2 DHL quantifies the average CO2-emissions per parcel sent.₄

Which items were returned most frequently in German online retail?

The following data from a survey of 2,078 participants aged between 18 and 64 from 2019₅ shows which items were returned in Germany and how often:

  • Clothing: 32 percent
  • Shoes: 17 percent
  • Consumer electronics: 6 percent
  • Bags & Accessories: 4 percent
  • Household appliances: 4 percent
  • Books/Movies/Music/Games: 3 percent
  • Sports and outdoor articles: 3 percent
  • Toys/baby products: 3 percent
  • Furniture & household goods: 3 percent
  • Cosmetics & body care: 3 percent
  • DIY/Gardening/Pet Supplies: 2 percent
  • Hobby & Stationery: 1 percent
  • Food & Beverages: 1 percent
  • Other: 2 percent

Facts & figures on returns from a customer perspective

Here you can find some statistics on returns, related to customer behavior:

  • Round 50 percent of all garments are returned by German online customers.₆
  • About 70 percent of all shoes ordered are returned by German online customers.₇
  • For 77 percent of German consumers uncomplicated returns are a fairly important criterion for the choice of retailer.₈
  • About 32 percent of German consumers return more than 3 items per year to the online seller.₉
  • About 26 percent of German consumers do not return a single parcel a year to the online seller.₁₀
  • 51 percent of returns come about because the item does not meet the buyer's expectations.₁₁

Returns statistics from the retailer's perspective

Of course, a high number of returns has significant consequences not only for our environment, but also for retailers. Here are the relevant statistics:

  • 15,18 Euro was the average cost of a return for the participating mail order companies in a study.₁₂
  • About 28.6 percent - this is the return rate of the mail order business in Germany.₁₃

What happens to the returned items?

Many people are certainly also interested in how retailers deal with returns after they have been received. A survey conducted by the EHI Retail Institute among 92 German online retailers₁₄ provides information on this:

  • Destruction/Disposal: 55 percent
  • Secondary marketing as B-goods: 50 percent
  • Sale via outlet: 37 percent
  • Donation: 27 percent
  • Return to the supplier: 24 percent
  • Sale to staff: 22 percent
  • Customer pays depreciation: 13 percent

Use statistics on returns in online retail

Returns statistics of the online trade

I hope that this article has provided you with meaningful facts and figures on the topic of returns in online mail order. Please use the data to Educational work in our society for the conscious avoidance of returns from the retailer's perspective, but especially from the customer's perspective.

Do you have any questions or other statistics that should not be missing here? Then please write me a comment. And if you use a statistic from this article, please don't forget to link this article as the source. Thank you very much!

Stay sustainable,

Christoph from CareElite - Plastic-free living

PS: In the article about the Avoidance of returns you can find out what you can do about the massive returns mania from both the customer and retailer perspective.

References:
₁,₂,₃ German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE): Avoid returns, available at https://www.nachhaltiger-warenkorb.de/themen/retouren-vermeiden.[22.01.2020].

₄ macondo publishing GmbH: DHL transports private customer parcels nationwide CO2-neutral at no extra charge (as of 28.06.2011), available at https://www.umweltdialog.de/de/verbraucher/leben-und-wohnen/archiv/2011-06-28_DHL_transportiert_alle_Privatkundenpakete_bundesweit_CO2-neutral_ohne_Aufpreis.php. [22.01.2020].

₅ Statista Global Consumer Survey (2019): Which of these items have you returned after ordering online in the last 12 months? (as of 18.06.2019), available at https://de.statista.com/prognosen/999860/umfrage-in-deutschland-zu-ruecksendungen-von-online-bestellungen. [22.01.2020].

₆ Bayerischer Rundfunk: Shop online: Reduce returns | Good to know | BR, YouTube, 01.01.2020, Web, 20.01.2020 at 13:08, in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RfBROSLrPM.

₇ Bayerischer Rundfunk: Shop online: Reduce returns | Good to know | BR, YouTube, 01.01.2020, Web, 20.01.2020 at 13:08, in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RfBROSLrPM.

₈,₉,₁₀,₁₁₁ JDA & Centro /YouGov: Returns in German online retail, available at https://de.statista.com/infografik/10055/umfrage-zu-retouren-im-deutschen-online-handel. [22.01.2020].

₁₂,₁₃ B. Asdecker: Statistiken Retouren Deutschland - Definition, available at http://www.retourenforschung.de/definition_statistiken-retouren-deutschland.html. [22.01.2020].

₁₄ EHI Retail Institute (2018): What happens to returns? (as at: 11.06.2019), available at https://de.statista.com/infografik/18320/umgang-mit-retouren-bei-deutschen-online-haendlern. [22.01.2020].

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Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.

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