8% increase in returns in Europe
The number of returns in Europe this year has increased. Source: shutterstock.com
The number of returns in Europe this year has increased by 8% compared to the same period last year, Ecommerce News reports. At the same time, free shipping has shown a 3% rise and goods purchased using a short-term promotion grew 29%.
These are some of the key findings from DynamicAction’s Retail Index: Spring 2019, which gives an overview of the challenges online retailers in Europe have to face. The research analyzed almost 11 billion euros of online consumer transactions from the start of this year until the 15th of April.
It reveals an 8% increase in returns in Europe, compared to the same period last year. According to DynamicAction, this shows a “growing trend from consumers to buy multiple products online with the intent of returning some items”.
During the period of almost four months, there was also a 3% rise in free shipping. The researchers explain online retailers are clearly looking for incentives to attract customers and remain competitive. Meanwhile, major online retailers such as Zalando are slowly trying to undo free delivery.
The study also shows there was a 29% rise of products purchased using a short-term promotion. This includes strategies such as one-day sales or site-wide promotions on seasonal items, which is increasingly seen during micro-holidays, such as Valentine’s Day.
Online retailers in Europe saw their marketing costs increase significantly, by 74% comparing to the same period last year. Meanwhile, new customer acquisition decreased by 10%.
SEE ALSO: How to return a purchase
