Retailers Add Return Shipping Fees to Offset Rising Costs from Spiking Online Return Rates
• Retailers like Macy's, Abercrombie, J.Crew, H&M are adding shipping fees for mail-in returns to offset costs
• 81% of merchants now charge fees for at least some return methods according to Happy Returns
• Amazon charges $1 fee if returning items to UPS instead of Whole Foods/Amazon Fresh/Kohl's despite partnership
• Return rates have spiked with 17% return rate in 2022, up from 8% in 2019 as more shop online
• Rather than pay shipping, some retailers let customers keep low-cost bulky returns like furniture where shipping is costly