Parcel returns: Returns - good for shoppers, bad for the environment

• 1.3 billion ordered items were returned in 2021. 91% of these were clothing and shoes.*
• 6,95 Euro - This is the average cost of returning a parcel - the provider almost always pays for it.*
• 1 % of the goods ordered end up in the rubbish bin. More than 93%* can be resold as new, the rest is offered as B-goods.

The figures refer to the year 2021 in Germany and were determined by the University of Bamberg.

We are European champions! Unfortunately only when it comes to returns. We Germans ordered around 99 billion euros worth of goods online in 2021. We sent one in four of these parcels back, as economists at the University of Bamberg have now discovered. According to their study, these returns caused an estimated 795,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions - as much as 6.6 million cars emit on the journey from Munich to Hamburg. Mail-order companies for bicycle items are also confronted with this problem.

We have a return rate of 17 per cent. - Elena Breuer, Rose Bikes

The problem is quickly identified: it's called free returns, as offered and celebrated by Amazon, Otto and Zalando. The large bike item mail order companies, such as Rose, Bike24 and Bike-Components, also follow the same principle. The fashion label Zara recently started charging fees to prevent the wave of returns. Most online retailers leave it at an appeal. "We rely on targeted decision-making aids, such as providing the measurements of the models who can be seen in the product photo online," says Janka Bockholt from Rose. Modern full-body scanners could be the solution. More on this in the Interview with Elena Breuer from Rose Bikes.

>> Read more about sustainability in biking in our special:
How can cycling be even better for the environment? <<

How to avoid returns

1. Know your measurements: Leg length, chest and hip circumference, body height. A tape measure helps. Use the size chart on the website.
2. Read the product description of the provider carefully before you click on Buy.
3. Take a look at the reviewswhat other buyers report about the product.
4. No one there! Many parcels are returnedbecause the recipient cannot be found. Specifying a parking space can help.

>> Further information on the Returns Management research group at the University of Bamberg can be found here: retourenforschung.de <<

Back with it and then?

Social Responsibility Manager Elena Breuer from Rose Bikes in an interview

BIKE: You have a body scanner in use in one of your stores. This could solve the returns problem. How does the scanner work?

Elena BreuerUnfortunately not any more. The current scanner does not yet meet our requirements. But the idea is great, namely to record all body measurements: shoe size, leg length, hip and chest circumference, hands, etc. Once the data is in the system, the customer can be sure when ordering online that they are ordering the product in the right size. A win-win situation. Good for the environment, the customer and for us.

At the top of the returns hit list is clothing, do you?

Yes, the rate here is 37 per cent. Overall, our returns rate is impressive - only 17 per cent of all our goods are returned. That's less than in online retail as a whole, where the rate is around 25 per cent.

Just like your competitors, you don't charge for returns. Wouldn't that be more in keeping with the times, also for the sake of the environment?

We describe the products in our portfolio as well as possible and refer to size charts. The cost of a return is up to 20 euros, depending on the product. We bear the costs. The customer comes first.

Good for the customer, how is the immense sum made up?

From shipping, labour costs, packaging and postage costs for the replacement goods. For bike products in particular, the goods must be meticulously inspected before they go back on sale. They often have to be sent again between dispatch and the Rose Store.

Many people are not sure about the frame size of their bike. Are there customers who have two frame sizes delivered - just like others do with shoes?

This rarely happens - the size chart provides a good guide. Nevertheless, bricks-and-mortar stores have an advantage here. A stop at one of our Rose Stores helps.

We often hear that returned goods are thrown away. How do you deal with this?

We throw almost nothing away. Returns with defects are sold as B-goods, the rest at a flea market - the proceeds go to a good cause. This is one reason why we were recently awarded the "Save Our Returns" seal.