Fashion giant Zara has become the latest retailer to charge shoppers who return items bought online. Customers now must pay £1.95 to return clothes, with the cost taken from their refund. Items bought online can still be returned for free in stores. High Street firms such as Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns. Online shopping boomed in the pandemic, but customers are more likely to return items bought online than in store, raising costs for retailers. Online shopping rose strongly during the pandemic, but this has also meant a big increase in the number of items being sent back because they do not fit, or are not as expected. For fashion retailers, returns can be costly. Earlier this month, fast-fashion brand Boohoo said soaring returns were partly to blame for a slump in its annual profits. Zara's decision to stop free postal returns has been criticised by some customers online. Allowing free in-store returns may help drive people back into shops.
