Cross-border product returns are difficult, and more than half of young consumers choose not to return products

Due to the explosive growth of global e-commerce sales, the return rate of e-commerce platforms has also increased. According to foreign media reports , when young consumers of Generation Z and millennials buy goods they don’t need on cross-border e-commerce platforms, most of them do not choose to return them.

ESW surveyed more than 14,000 consumers in 14 countries and found that Gen Z and Millennial shoppers together account for 60% of the total number of cross-border shoppers worldwide . In the past year , more than 30% of Gen Z and 37% of Millennial shoppers have made more than 11 cross-border purchases.

Among them, 56% of the younger generation said that they had bought products from international retailers that they did not need or were not satisfied with, but they did not choose to return these products in the end. The main reasons for not returning products include the following: inconvenient return process ( 35%), expensive international shipping (34%) , harmful to the environment ( 20%) , low cost of the product itself (28%), unclear return policy (26%) and lack of local return points (21%) , etc.

From a regional perspective , the countries where consumers are most likely to avoid returns are China ( 67%), India (64%) and the United Arab Emirates (64%) . In addition, the return rate of international orders also varies depending on the gender of the consumer, with female consumers being 13% less likely to return products than male consumers .

“Addressing the concerns that Gen Z and Millennials have about returns will be a big win for all direct-to-consumer brands as these younger generations continue to drive growth in all e-commerce markets , ” said Patrick Busquet-Chavanne, president and CEO of ESW Americas.

ESW 's research shows that simplifying the return process for cross-border e-commerce will help attract more Generation Z and Millennial consumers . Free returns, scheduled pickups, and return points that are closer will help alleviate consumers' cumbersome return process .

Additionally, research shows that brands that transparently communicate their delivery and return practices are more likely to create a more loyal customer base across all consumer segments .

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