Fewer Returns Through Better Choices

Online shopping has become an integral part of everyday life. With just a few clicks, an order is already on its way. Yet this convenience also has a downside: the number of product returns continues to rise. In the E-commerce project, researchers from The Hague University of Applied Sciences examines how digital marketing interventions can help consumers make better purchasing decisions and ultimately reduce returns as a result.

Online shopping makes it easy to buy quickly and impulsively. "You are sitting on the sofa, you see a special offer and before you know it you have placed an order," says researcher Maria Angeles Aragon. "But when the product arrives, it does not always meet the expectations." This mismatch often leads to returns, as well as to regret and frustration with consumers. 

Convenience Has a High Price

Returning products has become a persistent problem within e-commerce. Although flexible return options increase consumer trust, they also generate considerable costs. "Many people do not realise that a single returned parcel costs businesses on average between 12.50 and 19.50 Euros," Maria explains. "There are also environmental costs, including additional transport, CO2 emissions and waste."

Impulsive Buying

In sectors such as clothing and sports equipment, returning products has almost become routine. Existing solutions mainly focus on logistics, technology or stricter return policies. Much less attention is paid to the consumer behaviour that leads to returns.  Maria explains: "Frequent returns often point to underlying psychological processes, such as impulsivity or unrealistic expectations. That is not good for sustainability, but it is also not beneficial for consumer well-being. It is precisely this behavioural dimension that forms the core of our research."

Making More Conscious Choices

SME BBB Cycling observed that sports clothing and accessories are returned relatively frequently. Together with BBB Cycling, a research team from the Data Driven Marketing research group investigated how marketing interventions can be implemented in a real online shop without disrupting the user experience. How can consumers make better decisions before making a purchase? Various digital interventions were explored, including personalised pop-ups, additional product information, virtual fitting rooms and short reflection questions. Purely intended to encourage consumers to pause and reflect: does this really suit me? "Digital marketing can encourage people to buy," says Maria. "But it can also help them make more conscious choices." 

Research and Testing in Practice

The project combines scientific research with practical tests. "We analyse consumer data and examine psychological characteristics such as impulsivity," Maria explains. "We then translate these insights into concrete digital marketing concepts. These concepts are tested through A/B experiments in the webshop. This allows us to see directly what works and what doesn’t." This approach ensures that the results are not only scientifically grounded, but also practically applicable. Students from the Purposeful Marketing minor actively contributed and developed research-based interventions for BBB Cycling.  The most promising ideas now form the basis of the practical experiments.”

Lower Return Rates

The research shows that certain marketing interventions can indeed contribute to a lower return rate, particularly when they are aligned with the behaviour and personal characteristics of the consumer. In addition, the research provides practical guidelines and tools for e-commerce businesses, as well as valuable insights into return triggers. "Impulsive buying and post-purchase regret play a much greater role than many businesses realise." 

A Preventive Approach

According to Maria, fewer returns benefit everyone. "Businesses reduce their costs and operate more sustainably, consumers experience less regret and the environmental impact is lower." The project therefore deliberately adopts a preventive approach. "Rather than discouraging returns afterwards, we help people make better choices beforehand. That is both more effective and more positive for consumers."

Working Towards More Sustainable E-commerce

"This research shows that digital marketing can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem," Maria concludes. "By using digital tools in a thoughtful way, we can make online shopping more sustainable, more conscious and more humane."

See also projectpage: Reducing Product Returns in E-Commerce