How to Choose Products That Are Less Likely to Be Returned

Every return costs time, delivery money and sometimes the product itself. You cannot avoid returns altogether, but you can avoid products that invite them. The patterns below come from how buyers behave, not from fixed rules, so test them against your own results.

Features that raise return risk

• Exact fit: clothing and shoes depend on size, and sizes vary between makers.
• Exact colour: shades look different on different screens and in different light.
• Complicated products: devices with many parts or settings are more likely to be misunderstood or to arrive faulty.
• Products that are hard to judge from photos, such as quality of fabric or scent.
• Fragile goods that break easily in transit.

Features that lower return risk

• Simple, standard items that are the same every time.
• Sturdy products that survive handling.
• Items with clear sizes and measurements.
• Products with a plain, honest description and several real photos.

How to reduce risk even for harder products

• Give exact measurements and a size guide, not just small, medium or large.
• Photograph colours in daylight and mention that screens vary.
• State what is in the box and what is not.
• Pack fragile items well. See how to package orders so they arrive safely.
• Confirm size and colour with the customer before you place the order.

Learn from your own data

Keep track of returns and refusals by product and by reason. After a few weeks the pattern shows which products to drop or to describe better. See how to keep simple business records.

Choose the supplier carefully

A reliable shop that sends what it lists prevents a large share of returns. See how to choose a reliable supplier.

Remember the cost

When you work out profit, allow for some returns. A product with a good margin but frequent returns may earn less than a plain product with a smaller margin.