Returns in e-commerce

Reductify conducted research on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management into the return challenge in the e-commerce market from the perspective of online retailers. 16 semi-structured interviews were held with online retailers in the fashion and consumer electronics sectors and with experts in the market.

The report shows that every online retailer in the e-commerce market experiences a challenge in the area of ​​returns. The form and extent of that challenge is different for each market party. The return challenge is strongly dependent on the type of product.

Statements presented during the interviews show that online retailers are (partly) receptive to regulations or activities in the field of:

  • Communication regarding awareness of the impact of returns by consumers
  • Communication regarding reimbursement scales of the purchase amount
  • Subsidy provision for innovations in the field of return reduction or limiting the impact of returns in the chain

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Keywords: Consumer behavior

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