June 17, 2026 · Trends · 6 min read

Returns 2026: Statistics, Costs, and What Online Retailers Can Do About It

Germany is considered a high-returns e-commerce country. According to the German Retail Association (HDE), several hundred million parcels are returned annually – the exact figure varies by source and reporting year, but consistently sits in the hundreds of millions. The overall return rate across all e-commerce categories is estimated at around 10–15% of shipments. The costs are almost always borne by the retailer: return shipping, inspection, refurbishment, restocking, or disposal add up to €8–15 per return, and significantly more in some categories.

Return Rates by Category

Rates differ dramatically by product category. Fashion and clothing sees the highest rates at 30–50% – main reasons include sizing issues, color discrepancies, and the deliberate "order several keep one" behavior. Electronics and technology sits at 8–12%, household items at 10–15%. Books and media have the lowest rates at 3–5%.

This means: a uniform returns strategy for all categories makes little sense. Retailers with mixed assortments should differentiate by category.

What Returns Really Cost

Direct costs are well-known: return shipping (if offered free), processing time, quality inspection. Less visible are indirect costs: items that must be restocked as B-grade goods, price reductions on resale, capital tied up in return inventory.

One of the most underestimated cost factors is time: in manually managed processes, a return takes an average of 3–5 days from receipt to completion. During this time, the item is unsellable – and the customer waits for their refund.

Reduction Strategies

Better product information is the most effective lever. Detailed measurements, realistic product photos, and honest descriptions significantly reduce return-triggering disappointments. For fashion: size guides with notes on fit and material.

A structured returns process reduces process costs, not the rate itself – but it significantly lowers effort per return. Instead of manually chasing every return, the RMA process follows a defined flow with automatic status updates.

Conclusion

Returns cannot be eliminated – but they can be managed. Tracking return rates by category, continuously improving product information, and establishing a structured RMA process noticeably reduces total costs. The goal is not zero returns, but maximum efficiency per return.