Around half of returns made between Black Friday and January 6 included a fee to send back the item, according to new data shared with Retail Week.
Paid for returns stood at 45% and the proportion of paid returns rose to 69% among smaller retailers, revealed returns and post-purchase network ZigZag.
A big day for returns requests was December 29, which coincided with back-to-office days. Returns grew 16% across Monday December 29 and Tuesday December 30, compared with the same days in 2024. The first Monday of the new year saw returns grow 3% year on year.
ZigZag’s 2025 report also revealed that many Gen Z and Millennials said they would pay up to £2.10 for a return before abandoning a purchase, with this declining to £1.50 among older shoppers.
Top reasons for returns include sizing issues, but sizing-related complaints did fall 8% year on year. Returns due to faulty items did rise 7% however.
Royal Mail continued to be the most popular courier for returns, while InPost recorded a 35% increase in return volume. Returns made using QR codes also grew 35%.
ZigZag chief executive Al Gerrie said: “Busy periods expose retailers’ returns policies if they’re not seen as fair and convenient by consumers. Paid returns have become the norm as shoppers and retailers realise there’s a cost to every return.
“But shoppers are savvy to what a return should cost and won’t put up with courier problems, a lack of options, or a slow refund if they’ve paid for the privilege.
“As always, returns have trended upwards during Christmas, piling pressure on retailers to deliver an acceptable level of customer service while getting items back in stock before they lose value.”
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