Fashion giant H&M has become the latest retailer to charge shoppers who return items bought online. On Tuesday it announced customers now must pay £1.99 to return parcels either in store or online, with the cost taken from their refund however it made a U-turn since to say: "There will be no return fee for any parcels returned in store." An H&M spokesperson told the BBC that the information on its website had been "inaccurate" and had now been amended. Rival retailers such as Zara, Boohoo, Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns. 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. Returns can be a headache for retailers, because not only do they often cover the costs of online returns as a way of winning customers from rivals, but it also takes longer for warehouse staff to process returned stock. He said that while some customers might react negatively, most would understand the need for companies to make this decision. Many shoppers are also becoming more aware of the environmental impact of deliveries and returns. Fewer postal returns means fewer delivery vehicles travelling up and down with parcels.
