Returns are the business model
Apparel return rates of twenty to forty per cent are normal. That is not a failure; it is how the category works, because customers cannot try before buying.
The businesses that succeed are the ones that reduce returns through information rather than through restrictive policies, because restricting returns simply reduces sales.
Sizing information is the main lever
- Actual garment measurements, not just S/M/L
- Model information — height, and the size they are wearing
- Fit description — true to size, runs small, relaxed
- Fabric behaviour — stretch, shrinkage, drape
- Customer fit feedback aggregated from reviews
Model height plus the size worn is the single most useful piece of information you can add, and a large proportion of stores omit it.
Photography has to show the garment
- On a person, in several sizes where possible
- Detail shots of fabric, stitching and fastenings
- Flat lay so the shape is clear
- True colour — colour inaccuracy is a major return reason
- Movement, where drape matters
Track return reasons per product
“Too small” concentrated on one product means that product's sizing is wrong or described wrongly. That is a fixable, specific problem, and it is invisible without the data.
Reviewing return reasons monthly and correcting the listings that generate them is the highest-return operational habit in apparel.
Exchange before refund
A customer returning for size wants the right size. Making the exchange easier than the refund retains a meaningful share of that revenue and frequently the relationship too.
Free exchange with paid return shipping is a common and effective structure.