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Calculating and Reducing Your Ecommerce Return Rate

WeSupply helping reduce ecommerce return rate

High return rates in e-commerce can hurt your bottom line and customer satisfaction. Understanding and calculating your return rate helps identify problem areas. This article covers effective strategies for calculating and reducing your ecommerce return rate, which can significantly improve both profitability and customer loyalty.

Key Takeaways

  • High return rates can hurt profit margins and customer loyalty, making effective management essential for e-commerce businesses.

  • Understanding and accurately calculating your return rate, plus segmenting return data, helps identify patterns and areas for improvement.

  • Implementing better product information, encouraging exchanges, and utilizing technology can significantly reduce return rates while enhancing customer satisfaction.

  • WeSupply streamlines returns with automation, fraud detection, intelligent dispositions, and customer feedback tools—helping you cut return-related tasks by 80%, reduce fraud, and turn returns into a driver of efficiency, insights, and customer satisfaction. Book a demo today!

Introduction: The Importance of Managing Your E-commerce Return Rate

High return rates in ecommerce store are more than just a nuisance—they can wreak havoc on your profit margins and customer satisfaction levels. The financial cost of handling returns, from return shipping costs to restocking fees, quickly adds up, affecting your overall profitability. Moreover, frequent returns can erode customer loyalty, leading to a decline in repeat purchases and overall customer retention.

Industry benchmarks reveal that the average return rate for an ecommerce business is significantly higher than that of traditional retail, highlighting the urgent need for effective return management strategies. Managing your return rates effectively is crucial not only for maintaining profit margins but also for ensuring a positive shopping experience that keeps customers coming back.

Understanding and Calculating E-commerce Return Rate

Before diving into strategies to reduce returns, it’s essential to understand what the e-commerce return rate refers to and how it’s calculated. Knowing your return rate helps you gauge the efficiency of your return policies and identify areas for improvement. E-commerce return rates can vary significantly depending on the product type and customer expectations, with some sectors experiencing return rates as high as 30%. This variation underscores the importance of tailored strategies to manage returns effectively.

Accurate calculation and segmentation of return data are key to gaining actionable insights. Breaking down return data by product type, sales channel, and time period helps identify patterns and areas needing attention. This granular approach allows you to fine-tune your product offerings and return policies, ultimately leading to fewer returns and higher profit margins.

What is E-commerce Return Rate?

The e-commerce return rate refers to the proportion of total orders that customers return. Typically, return rates in the e-commerce sector range between 20% and 30%, which is significantly higher than the average ecommerce return rate in traditional retail, which stands around 9%. This high ecommerce return rate can be attributed to various factors such as incorrect sizing, color discrepancies, and product misrepresentation. High ecommerce returns not only increase operational costs but also impact inventory management and customer satisfaction.

Understanding the implications of high return rates is crucial for any e-commerce business. Excessive returns can lead to increased costs for handling and restocking products, ultimately affecting your profit margins. Additionally, frequent returns can erode customer confidence and satisfaction, making it vital to address the root causes of returns to maintain a positive customer experience and ensure customer retention.

Return Rate Formula: How to Calculate Your E-commerce Return Rate

Calculating your e-commerce return rate is straightforward but requires attention to detail. The standard formula calculates the percentage of returned orders. It is given by (Number of Orders Returned / Total Orders Sold) x 100. If you sold 1,000 items in a month, and 150 of them were returned, that would give you a return rate. In this case, your return rate would be 15%. This percentage allows you to compare return rates across different time periods or product categories, providing a clear picture of your return trends.

It’s important to ensure that all returned items are accurately accounted for in relation to the total sales volume. This means including both item-level and order-level return rates in your calculations.

Item-level return rates consider each returned item individually, while order-level return rates account for entire orders returned. Accurately calculating your return rate provides a clearer understanding of the issue’s extent, allowing for targeted strategies to address it.

Segmenting Return Data for Better Insights

Segmenting your return data can provide valuable insights that help refine your product offerings and return policies. Categorizing returns by product type, time period, and sales channel reveals patterns and trends not apparent in aggregated data. For instance, you might find that certain products have higher return rates during specific seasons, indicating a need for seasonal adjustments in your inventory or marketing strategies.

Analyzing return data by sales channel can also reveal which channels are most prone to higher return rates. This information can guide your marketing and sales efforts, helping you focus on channels that yield fewer returns and higher profit margins. Leveraging segmented return data enables informed decisions, leading to better customer retention and a more efficient returns process.

Key Reasons for High E-commerce Return Rates

Understanding the root causes of high e-commerce return rates is the first step toward reducing them. Common reasons for returns include product quality issues, inaccurate descriptions, and buyer’s remorse. Each of these factors can significantly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to a higher volume of returns and affecting the overall profitability of your e-commerce business.

Additionally, specific issues like incorrect sizing and bracketing—where customers order multiple sizes or colors intending to return some—can further complicate inventory management and increase operational costs. Addressing these key reasons for returns helps develop targeted strategies, minimizing their occurrence and improving your e-commerce return rate.

Common Causes of E-commerce Returns

One of the most prevalent causes of e-commerce returns is product quality issues. When products don’t meet customer expectations, whether due to poor craftsmanship or defective items, customers are likely to return them. Inaccurate descriptions and misleading product images also contribute to high return rates, as customers feel deceived when the product they receive doesn’t match what was advertised.

Other common causes include buyer’s remorse and customer preference changes, where customers rethink their future purchases after the fact. Delivery delays can also lead to returns, as customers may no longer need the items or have found alternatives.

Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, from improving product quality to providing accurate descriptions and managing customer expectations effectively.

The Impact of Fit and Sizing Issues

Fit and sizing issues account for a significant portion of returns in the fashion sector, with approximately 65% of returns attributed to these problems. This is particularly challenging for online customers making online purchases, apparel and footwear retailers, where customers can’t try items on before purchasing.

Implementing detailed size guides and virtual try-on tools can help mitigate these issues, enhancing the customer shopping experience and reducing return rates.

Product Description and Quality Mismatches

Accurate product descriptions and high-quality images are crucial for setting the right customer expectations and minimizing returns. Vague or misleading descriptions often lead to customer dissatisfaction and increased return rates. High-resolution images and product videos can significantly influence customer satisfaction by providing a clear and realistic representation of the product.

Investing in detailed and accurate product pages reduces mismatches and improves overall customer satisfaction.

Intentional Returns (Bracketing) and Customer Behavior

Bracketing is a common practice where customers buy multiple sizes or colors of a product with the intention of returning the ones that don’t fit or meet their preferences. While this behavior can improve customer satisfaction by allowing them to find the perfect fit, it also complicates inventory management and increases return rates.

Retailers can adopt policies that discourage excessive bracketing without compromising the customer experience. For instance, offering detailed size guides and virtual try-on tools can help customers make more informed decisions, reducing the need for bracketing in online shopping.

Additionally, implementing return policies that limit the number of items customers can return within a certain period can help manage returns more effectively while maintaining a positive shopping experience.

Strategies to Reduce E-commerce Return Rates

Reducing e-commerce return rates requires a combination of strategies aimed at improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Enhancing product information, encouraging exchanges, and streamlining the returns process are some of the key approaches to consider. By addressing the root causes of returns and implementing customer-friendly policies, you can significantly lower your return rates and improve overall profitability.

Additionally, implementing a sustainable and profitable return policy can help balance customer satisfaction with business needs. Offering tiered return policies based on customer loyalty can incentivize repeat purchases while maintaining a manageable return process.

Enhancing Product Information to Reduce Mismatches

Accurate and detailed product descriptions are essential for preventing misunderstandings and customer dissatisfaction. Utilizing high-quality visuals, such as 360-degree images and video demonstrations, can help customers gauge products better before making a purchase. Encouraging customer reviews and user-generated content can also provide valuable insights and improve the credibility of your product listings.

By investing in detailed product pages and leveraging interactive features, you can set accurate customer expectations and reduce the likelihood of returns due to mismatches.

Encouraging Exchanges Instead of Refunds

Offering store credit as an alternative to refunds can encourage repeat purchases and enhance customer loyalty. Simplifying the exchange process can also lead to better customer retention and reduce potential revenue loss. Promoting exchanges over refunds keeps customers engaged and minimizes the financial impact of returns.

Implementing a flexible exchange policy that allows customers to easily swap items can improve their overall shopping experience and reduce the number of returns.

Streamlining the Returns Process for Better Efficiency

An easy returns process can deter unnecessary returns while maintaining customer satisfaction. Prepaid return labels and automated return portals can enhance the efficiency of the returns process for customers. Providing convenient drop-off locations for returns and offering a free return option can improve customer experience and operational efficiency.

Making the returns process straightforward and accessible ensures customer satisfaction while managing returns more effectively.

Implementing a Sustainable and Profitable Return Policy

Balancing customer-friendly return policies with company profitability is crucial for long-term success. Establishing clear return guidelines helps mitigate the risk of return fraud. Creating tiered return policies based on customer loyalty can incentivize repeat business while maintaining a manageable return process.

Implementing a sustainable return policy that aligns with your business goals can enhance customer satisfaction and profitability.

Advanced Strategies: Technology & Returns Management

Incorporating advanced technologies into your returns management process can significantly enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction. Tools like AI and automation can predict return likelihood and streamline decision-making, reducing the time and costs associated with managing returns. Leveraging technology provides valuable insights into return patterns and customer behavior, aiding in refining return policies and product offerings.

Automating returns processes and utilizing returns management software can provide real-time analytics and improve the efficiency of handling returns. These technologies not only help manage returns more effectively but also enhance the overall customer experience by providing timely updates and easy-to-use return portals.

Utilizing Returns Management Software for Automation

Returns management software, such as WeSupply, offers numerous benefits for automating the returns process. These platforms can handle returns approval, fraud detection, and provide real-time analytics to track the return process. By automating these tasks, you can significantly reduce the time and costs associated with processing returns.

Additionally, returns management software allows customers to initiate returns and exchanges independently through a user-friendly portal. This not only improves the customer experience but also provides real-time updates on the status of their online purchase returns, enhancing transparency and trust.

Leveraging Customer Feedback to Improve Products and Policies

Customer feedback is a valuable resource for identifying recurring issues with products and return policies. By analyzing return data and customer reviews, you can pinpoint specific weaknesses that lead to high return rates. This proactive approach allows you to make necessary adjustments to product descriptions, quality, and overall customer service.

Effective use of customer feedback can also guide improvements in your return policies, ensuring they are fair and customer-friendly while protecting your business interests. Leveraging this feedback helps create a positive customer journey, leading to satisfied and loyal customers.

The Role of Reverse Logistics in Return Reduction

Reverse logistics play a crucial role in managing returns efficiently and reducing associated costs. Implementing a clear reverse logistics strategy can streamline the returns process, minimizing processing times and improving cost management. Partnering with third-party logistics (3PL) providers can further enhance the efficiency of handling returns, ensuring that returned merchandise is processed and restocked quickly.

Optimizing your reverse logistics process turns returns into a more manageable aspect of your business, leading to better inventory management and customer satisfaction.

Sustainable and Fraud-Proof Returns Management

Managing returns sustainably and preventing fraud are critical aspects of a robust returns strategy. Return fraud, which accounts for up to 10% of all returns, can lead to substantial losses for e-commerce businesses. Implementing strict return policies and leveraging technology to detect fraudulent activities can help mitigate these risks.

Encouraging sustainable practices, such as using digital return labels and eco-friendly packaging, can also reduce the environmental impact of returns. By promoting the resale of refurbished products and adopting environmentally friendly packaging, you can contribute to sustainability while managing returns effectively.

Preventing Return Fraud and Abuse

Return fraud is a growing issue in e-commerce, with up to 10% of returns being fraudulent. Implementing clear return policies that outline the conditions for refunds can help deter fraudulent activities. An efficient returns management system can also identify and reduce fraudulent returns, saving resources for e-commerce companies.

Strict enforcement of return policies and leveraging technology for fraud detection are essential strategies to combat return fraud and protect your business.

Sustainable Returns: Reducing Waste and Carbon Footprint

Encouraging practices like refurbishing and reselling returned items contributes to sustainability in e-commerce. Utilizing digital return labels can significantly decrease the amount of paper waste generated during the return process. Eco-friendly packaging solutions also play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of returns.

Adopting these sustainable practices allows for more responsible return management and aligns your business with environmentally conscious values.

How WeSupply Can Help You Calculate and Reduce Your Ecommerce Return Rate

Struggling with high return rates that hurt your profit margins and customer satisfaction? That’s where WeSupply comes in.

With return rates in ecommerce often ranging from 20% to 30%, identifying the root causes and optimizing your return process is essential. WeSupply’s return management solutions are purpose-built to not only help you calculate and monitor return rates with precision, but also proactively reduce them—all while improving customer experience.

Whether you’re dealing with sizing issues, bracketing, or misrepresented product expectations, WeSupply gives you the tools to get ahead of returns before they impact your bottom line.

Here’s how WeSupply helps you manage and minimize returns:

Struggling with high return rates that hurt your profit margins and customer satisfaction? That’s where WeSupply comes in.

With return rates in ecommerce often ranging from 20% to 30%, identifying the root causes and optimizing your return process is essential. WeSupply’s return management solutions are purpose-built to not only help you calculate and monitor return rates with precision, but also proactively reduce them—all while improving customer experience.

Whether you’re dealing with sizing issues, bracketing, or misrepresented product expectations, WeSupply gives you the tools to get ahead of returns before they impact your bottom line.

Simplify Returns for Your Customers and Support Team

Book a quick call with our experts to see how WeSupply can help you: simplify the Return experience with just a few clicks, reduce customer service calls and manual processing, notify your customer about their refund, automate returns and reduce user error.

Here’s how WeSupply helps you manage and minimize returns:

  • Advanced Return Analytics
    Improve your product offerings using powerful return insights. With SKU-level returns analytics, you can quickly identify return reasons at the product and variant level—including issues related to size, color, and quality.
    • Adjust sizing charts based on specific product feedback
    • Review and improve product images
    • Identify items that need more product reviews
    • Collect direct customer feedback on product fit and expectations
  • 🧠 Customer Feedback Collection
    Get real-time return reasons and suggestions straight from your customers to refine your products and policies.

  • 📦 Intelligent Dispositions

    Send returns to the right destination automatically—saving time, money, and effort.

    • Automatically route items to restocking, repairs, donations, or liquidation

    • Reduce unnecessary shipping and handling costs

    • Adapt workflows based on item condition or return reason

    • Improve sustainability and operational efficiency

  • ⚙️ Automated Returns Management

    Stop wasting time on manual returns processes.

    • Save up to 80% of time spent managing returns

    • Eliminate back-and-forth emails

    • Automatically process return requests

    • Collect images and customer comments effortlessly

    • Sync with your return workflow, ERP, or 3PL

  • Streamlined Returns Process

    Boost efficiency and reduce customer friction.

    • Instantly calculate restocking fees and shipping deductions

    • Apply vendor-specific return policies

    • Detect abusive return behavior in real time

    • Accelerate inventory restocking and refunds

    • Minimize support tickets and handling time

  • 🚫 Reduce Returns Fraud Rate

    Protect your margins and stop return abusers in their tracks.

    • Identify and block serial returners

    • Automatically enforce “block lists”

    • Spot one-time-use purchase patterns (like wardrobing)

    • Manually review suspicious requests when needed

  • 📊 CSAT, NPS, and CES Tracking

    You can’t improve what you don’t measure—so WeSupply helps you measure everything.

    • Track Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

    • Measure Net Promoter Score (NPS)

    • Assess Customer Effort Score (CES)

    • Uncover bottlenecks in fulfillment, shipping, or product experience

    • Make smarter decisions to drive loyalty and repeat business

WeSupply helps you transform returns from a cost center into a powerful tool for growth—cutting costs, boosting loyalty, and helping you make smarter merchandising decisions. 👉 Discover how WeSupply helps you reduce ecommerce return rates and delight your customers. Book a demo today!

Evereve Case Study: Turning Returns Into Opportunities With WeSupply

With over 93 boutiques and a booming e-commerce presence, EVEREVE faced a significant surge in online returns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many in the apparel industry, the brand struggled with the rising costs, lack of visibility, and inefficient manual processes tied to return management.

To tackle these challenges, EVEREVE partnered with WeSupply, integrating solutions like Magento, Zendesk, and Celerant to overhaul their returns process. The goal was simple but ambitious: reduce friction, boost customer loyalty, and transform returns into a strategic advantage.

Key Outcomes:

  • Automation & Visibility: Automated returns and centralized systems brought clarity and speed across teams.

  • Cost & Time Savings: Reduced support tickets and freed up customer service resources.

  • Customer Empowerment: Introduced a self-service returns model, enabling exchanges, refunds, and store credit with ease.

  • Streamlined Experience: Improved order tracking, delivery notifications, and in-store pickup created a cohesive customer journey.

  • Data-Driven Returns: Predictive analytics helped optimize return routes, cutting costs and improving efficiency.

Bottom Line: By combining automation, flexibility, and a proactive approach, EVEREVE turned a major pain point into a powerful retention tool—proving that a better return experience can lead to stronger customer relationships and operational excellence.

👉 Read how WeSupply was able to help Evereve reinvent their return process and boost performance.

Combat inconvenience with proactivity & self service

Book a quick call with our experts to see how WeSupply can help you make returns easy for your customers with a beautiful, self-service solution that makes their experience easier while also providing new ways to lower costs and earn back revenue.

Conclusion: Turning Returns into Opportunities for Growth

Reducing return rates without compromising customer satisfaction is a delicate balance that requires strategic planning and execution. Implementing strategies like enhancing product information, encouraging exchanges, and leveraging technology optimizes your returns process and maintains profitability.

The future of returns management lies in continued innovation, with AI, automation, and evolving consumer expectations playing key roles. Embracing these advancements can turn returns into opportunities for growth, ensuring your business thrives in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

Summary

In summary, effectively managing e-commerce returns is essential for protecting profit margins and building long-term customer loyalty. With WeSupply, retailers can take control of return rates through powerful features like automated returns management, intelligent dispositions, and seamless self-service return portals. By streamlining workflows, reducing human error, and integrating with existing systems like ERPs or 3PLs, WeSupply helps you save up to 80% of the time typically spent on returns. The platform also combats return fraud by automatically detecting abuse and syncing blocklists. Product-specific restocking fees, flexible return rules, and real-time tracking further simplify the process. Plus, built-in CSAT, NPS, and CES tracking tools ensure you gather customer insights to continuously improve. With WeSupply, returns aren’t just a cost center—they become an opportunity to optimize operations, delight customers, and reduce return rates for good. Get started with WeSupply today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average return rate for e-commerce businesses?

The average return rate for e-commerce businesses is around 18.1%, which is way higher than what you’d see in regular retail. So, if you’re selling online, just be ready for those returns!

How can I calculate my e-commerce return rate?

To calculate your e-commerce return rate, just divide the number of orders returned by the total orders sold, then multiply by 100. It’s a straightforward way to see how many returns are coming in!

What are common causes of high e-commerce return rates?

High e-commerce return rates often stem from incorrect sizing, product quality issues, misleading descriptions, and bracketing. These factors can really frustrate customers, leading to those returns.

How can I reduce my e-commerce return rates?

To cut down on your e-commerce return rates, focus on improving product descriptions, making exchanges easier, and having a clear return policy. These steps will help set the right expectations for your customers and keep them happy.

What role does technology play in managing e-commerce returns?

Tech plays a crucial role in simplifying e-commerce returns by automating processes and providing real-time analytics, making everything a lot more efficient. With the right tools, you can handle returns like a pro!

How can I reduce my eCommerce return rate without hurting customer experience?

WeSupply helps reduce return rates by offering detailed return analytics, intelligent dispositions, and CSAT/NPS tracking. This lets you spot problematic products, improve descriptions, and automate return handling—leading to fewer returns without compromising customer satisfaction.

What’s the best way to automate the returns process in my online store?

WeSupply automates returns with self-service portals, ERP/3PL integrations, auto-calculated fees, and fraud detection. You save up to 80% of the time spent on returns while offering a seamless experience.

How can I detect and stop return fraud effectively?

WeSupply identifies return fraud by flagging suspicious behavior, syncing blocklists, and enforcing policy rules. This lets you protect your store while keeping your return process customer-friendly.

Does WeSupply have an official Shopify App?

Yes, WeSupply does have an official Shopify App. You can download and begin to integrate it with your Shopify store.

Does WeSupply have an official Magento extension?

Yes, WeSupply has an official extension for Magento. The WeSupply x Magento integration allows for automating order tracking experiences, reducing customer inquiries, automating shipping email and SMS notifications, and providing a fully branded order tracking experience

Does WeSupply have an official BigCommerce App?

Yes, WeSupply has an official BigCommerce App. You can integrate WeSupply with your BigCommerce store to improve your post-purchase customer experience.

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