Key Findings:

  • Nearly half of consumers (49%) returned at least one item in the past year, with younger adults (64% of 25-34-year-olds) and women (62%) leading the way.
  • Around 46% return items because they don’t fit or don’t meet expectations on quality, colour, or size, making product accuracy a key factor in reducing returns.
  • Nearly three-quarters of shoppers (72%) say free returns are the most important policy feature, rising to 80% among those aged 55+.
  • Over half (51%) say return policies have affected their purchase decisions, with influence highest among women (58%) and 25-34-year-olds (61%).

As year-end sales and holiday shopping ramp up, return policies will play a bigger role in what consumers buy. A recent YouGov Surveys: Serviced poll conducted among UK adults reveals how many shoppers have returned items in the past year, why they returned them, and which return policy features influence their purchasing choices.

Who's returning and how often?

The data shows a broad range of return habits among UK adults. While 45% report not returning any items in the last 12 months, 49% have made at least one return. About a quarter (26%) returned one or two items, while 12% returned three to five. A further 11% returned six or more items in the past year.

Return behaviour varies across demographic lines. Women are significantly more likely to have returned items than men (62% vs. 47%). Age also plays a role. Younger consumers are more return-active, with 64% of 25-34-year-olds and 61% of 18-24-year-olds reporting at least one return over the past year. In contrast, consumers aged 55 and over were the least likely to make returns, with 51% saying they hadn’t returned anything at all.

Why are people returning items?

When asked why they returned products, two reasons stand out across the board. Nearly half of returners say that the item did not fit as expected (46%), and the same proportion say it didn’t meet their expectations in terms of quality, colour, or size (46%). Women are more likely than men to cite both reasons, particularly items not fitting (55% vs. 35%).

Defective or damaged items is another common reason, mentioned by a third of respondents (33%). One in six (16%) say they had either received the wrong item or mistakenly ordered the wrong product. Around 17% of returners say they had ordered multiple items with the intention of keeping only some. This behaviour is more common among women (21%) and younger adults, particularly those aged 25 to 34 (22%). A small portion, mostly younger consumers (10% of 18-24-year-olds), admit to bracketing (ordering multiple versions for comparison purposes with no plan to keep them). Just 5% of respondents say they returned an item because they found a lower price elsewhere.

Convenience drives preferred return methods

The most preferred method to return is mailing items back with a prepaid label or QR code (27%). This method is especially common among older shoppers, with 30% of those aged 55 and over saying it is their top choice. Women are also slightly more likely to choose this method than men (29% vs. 25%).

Nearly a fifth (18%) pick in-store returns as their preference preferred, with 21% of 45-54-year-old consumers saying the same. Younger shoppers show a stronger preference for returning through automated lockers or kiosks — 21% of 18-24-year-olds and 22% of those aged 25 to 34 prefer this option, compared to just 8% of those aged 55 and over. Courier pick-up options, while less popular overall (9%), are more appealing to 25-34-year-olds (13%) than to other groups.

Return policies as a purchase driver

Return policies clearly play a significant role in purchase decisions. Overall, 51% of adults say that return policies have influenced their decision to buy from a retailer. This influence is strongest among women (58%) and adults aged 25 to 34 (61%). Younger consumers, particularly those under 45, are consistently more likely to factor return policies into their buying choices. By contrast, men (49%) and older shoppers are more likely to say return policies had no influence on their decision – 48% of 55+ and 43% of 45-54-year-olds.

What matters most in return policies?

Among those who have been influenced by return policies, free return emerges as the most popular feature, cited by 72% of shoppers. This figure is even higher among women (75%) and older consumers, with 80% of those aged 55 and above saying it mattered to them.

Return shipping costs are a key factor, influencing 54% of those who consider return policies when purchasing. More than a third of policy-conscious shoppers (37%) pick the variety of available return channels. Around 30% say the length of the return window mattered to them, and the same proportion point to the speed of processing or refunds (30%).

Some factors, while less widely cited, appear to be popular with specific demographics. For example, 30% of 18-24-year-olds say that restocking fees or other return costs influenced their decisions, compared to just 11% of those aged 55 and above. Younger consumers are also more likely to care about the clarity of policy wording (29%), sustainable return options (18%), and whether an exchange was available in place of a refund (20%).

Taken together, these findings reveal that returns are more than a post-purchase step, they influence the sale itself. For retailers competing in a market where convenience and flexibility are increasingly expected, getting the return experience right may be just as important as pricing or product quality.

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Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 11-12 September 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 2,081 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (18 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

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