Dutch consumers return their purchases more often than other European shoppers. With an average return rate of 13 per cent, the Netherlands is the European leader in returning items.
In a new survey, conducted by Kantar TNS on behalf of carrier DPD, 24,328 online shoppers from 22 countries were questioned about their return behaviour. The Netherlands topped the list, followed by Germany, Ireland, Poland and Switzerland. In these countries, the return rate is 12 per cent. The European average rose to 10 per cent.
Return convenience
An explanation for the high Dutch return rate can be found in convenience, according to the researchers. Compared to other Europeans, the Dutch have an above-average number of free returns, using a return label and transport company facilitated by the retailer. Consequently, 62 per cent of Dutch consumers say they find returning items easy, compared to a European average of 52 per cent.
Share of fashion down
The results show that the share of fashion in returns has decreased. Earlier, fashion accounted for more than half of all Dutch returns, now it is 44 per cent. Other categories seem to be catching up. For instance, electronic products are returned more often. This segment accounted for 9 per cent of returns, an increase of 5 per cent. The categories shoes (+2 per cent), leisure (+3 per cent), video games (+2 per cent), groceries (+2 per cent), health (+1 per cent) and toys (+2 per cent) also showed an increase.
