Moves by retailers to implement stricter return policies are deterring global consumer spending, according to research by supply chain software firm Blue Yonder.
This finding was clear and clear, with 84% of respondents globally saying they would stop shopping at their favorite retailer if stricter returns policies were implemented, according to the “2025 Global Retail Consumer Returns Survey” conducted by Dallas-based Blue Yonder. The July study polled more than 6,000 consumers in Australia. New Zealand (ANZ), France, Germany, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
“These findings highlight negative consumer attitudes toward stricter returns policies, with the majority of consumers continuing to make decisions about where to shop based on these policies,” Tim Robinson, senior vice president of commerce and returns at Blue Yonder, said in a statement. “Across generations and regions, consumers consistently believe that returns restrictions are unfair and inconvenient for them, confirming their expectations of an easy and hassle-free process.”
Across regions, consumers in the Middle East (75%) are most likely to be discouraged from purchasing due to strict restrictions on returns, followed by France (70%), Germany (65%), UK (63%), ANZ (62%) and US (59%). This trend is most pronounced among Millennials (74%) and Generation Z (71%), corresponding to 74% and 76% in 2024, respectively.
Dive into three specific return strategies:
First, half of global respondents (50%) cited fees on returns as the most annoying element of stricter returns policies, but consumers are still generally willing to pay the price.
Second, retailers have also pushed back on “hold” returns, which have become very popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey showed a shift away from such policies – one retailer asked more than half (60%) of respondents to keep the product rather than undergo a return, down from 72% in 2024. Globally, respondents in the Middle East (73%) were most often asked to keep the product rather than return it, followed by France (68%) and Germany. (67%), US (55%), UK (50%), and ANZ. (47%).
Third, more than a third (36%) of survey respondents reported that a retailer had refused their returns within the past year. Across regions, the top three reasons retailers declined were that the return request fell outside the return window (31%), the product was non-returnable (26%), and the consumer’s return history prevented additional returns (20%).
Notably, these rejection justifications do not match consumers’ reasons for returning products: 31% of respondents globally indicated that defective or damaged products were the primary reason for requesting a return, followed by incorrect size or fit (27%, down significantly from 75% in 2024).
