H&M charges a return fee to the UK. The Swedish group, which at the start of the year announced its intention to implement return charging in between ten and fifteen markets, has taken the first step in the UK and will charge 1.99 pounds (2.3 euros) for online and future returns. e-commerce order stores, as progress has been made Fashion Business.

The company noted at the start of the year that its return charging strategy was part of a plan to reduce costs. The Swedish company began studying the charging of return fees in September 2022after launching a series of tests in several markets to test consumer response.

But in the trial period, the company only charges for online returns. H&M later joined other operators in this sector such as Inditex, which at the beginning of 2022 launched this action in the thirty markets in which they operate, excluding Spain, where they started charging 1.95 euros for online returns this February.

For now, the Galician giant is providing free in-store returns, which means more traffic at points of sale.

H&M will charge 1.99 pounds (2.3 euros) for returns online and in stores in the UK

The UK is one of the countries with the highest online penetration rate in Europe. According to the same media, between 20% and 30% of online fashion purchases are returned, a much higher percentage than the store’s recorded return rate. High online return rates mean high logistics costs.

The two largest fashion distribution groups aren’t the only ones implementing return charges: Fast Retailing is also starting to implement this measure for Uniqlo in March last year and Zalando set minimum orders in nine markets in 2019 with the aim of reducing the share of returns, one of the biggest problems for retailers. pure player.

Boohoo is another example on this list and in July 2022 also set a flat return fee. The British online fashion group then explained which was forced to adjust its policies due to rising transportation costs and the high rate of returns it experienced in previous months.