As of July 4, Boohoo returns are no longer free. It will now cost you £1.99 to send your unwanted goods back to the warehouses.

The fast fashion retailer joins Next, Uniqlo and Zara in charging for online returns. The latter’s fee was introduced in a bid for sustainability. It is also slightly less than the Boohoo returns price, at £1.95.

The £1.99 Boohoo returns fee will be charged for each package returned, rather than each item.

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That means if you are returning a lot of clothes or accessories, it will be cheaper to do it in bulk rather than on multiple occasions.

The refund policy reads, “please note a returns charge of £1.99 per parcel will be deducted from [your] refund amount.”

“You will be charged per parcel you return, if multiple returns are made on the same order, additional fees will apply. To save on returns cost, its best to return your items in one parcel”, it continues. 

Right now, the Boohoo returns policy only applies to Boohoo and Boohoo Man.

It is yet to be confirmed whether other Boohoo PLC brands, such as Nasty Gal and Karen Millen, will follow suit.

This is unsurprising as boohoo's profitability has taken a big hit from the cost of returns. Returns will be free for boohoo Premier shoppers, but many consumers will be reluctant to spend on such schemes with the rising cost of living, pushing them to rivals, especially Primark. https://t.co/4niBjAyTJW

— Emily Salter (@EmilyJ_gdretail) July 12, 2022

Fast Fashion Sustainability

As the etailer exclusively retails online, customers are likely to purchase an item in a range of sizes. This is so they have the ability to see which item fits best before returning the bigger or smaller pieces.

This, alongside the rising ‘Keep or Return’ social media trend favoured by fashion influencers, is having a detrimental effect on businesses and carbon footprints.

A 2020 study by KPMG revealed that up to half of clothing bought online is returned. The study also states that some businesses have wracked up roughly £7 billion worth of costs each year. This is due to processing large return orders.

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According to the Boohoo PLC sustainability pledge, they aim to “launch resale and recycling offers across [their] brands” by 2023.

PrettyLittleThing is due to launch a resale app in the coming future.

According to the Boohoo PLC site, “PrettyLittleThing Marketplace is undergoing platform testing. It will allow customers to sell the clothes that they no longer love.”

By adding the Boohoo returns fee now, the fast fashion company is taking a step in the right direction to reach this goal.

Feature Image Credit: Mukuko Studio (via Unsplash) / Boohoo (Advertising Imagery)