Returns policy an influence for 85.6% UK online shoppers, new IMRG and nShift research finds

Survey of 1,000 UK consumers finds 71.1% would shop less, or stop buying altogether, after a poor return.

IMRG and nShift today published The Ecommerce Returns Opportunity: Improving Experience, Conversion and Retention, based on a survey of 1,000 UK consumers conducted in Q2 2026 by IMRG. The report examines how shoppers judge returns costs, speed, channel choice, exchanges and denied returns, and what those expectations mean for conversion and customer retention.

Key findings include:

• Returns affect the original sale: 85.6% of consumers say a retailer’s returns policy is very important or quite important when deciding whether to buy online (45.6% very important, 40% quite important).
• A poor experience damages future demand: 42.3% would be much less inclined to shop with a retailer again after a poor return, while 28.8% would stop shopping with that retailer altogether.
• Exchanges can retain the purchase: 66.1% would be likely or very likely to accept an exchange offered when starting a return instead of requesting a refund.
• Customers expect a quick start: 47.4% expect to initiate a return within one to three minutes. A further 30.1% expect the process to take no more than five minutes.
• Stores remain an important returns channel: More than 70% would be likely or very likely to return an online purchase in-store instead of by post if the option were available.

The research also shows that shoppers distinguish between blanket returns fees and charges linked to specific circumstances. While 21.5% believe charging for returns is never fair, 47.6% consider a fee fair for frequent returners. Charges for international returns and non-faulty items are also accepted by around one quarter of consumers.

“It’s very interesting to note that almost half of respondents are accepting of return costs aligning with past behavior, which is the model ASOS have trialed. Exactly how that attitude develops over time remains to be seen, but if that kind of approach becomes normalized, it may open up opportunities to do something similar in other areas of the customer experience everything becoming more personalized to the individual feels like the direction of travel.”

Andy Mulcahy, Strategy & Insight Director, IMRG

“A return begins before the parcel comes back. Shoppers look at the policy before they buy, and the experience they receive afterward shapes whether they order again. Retailers need the promise at checkout to carry through into a fast, clear return flow, with an exchange offered while the customer still wants the product.”

Jurgen Leijdekker, Chief Executive Officer at nShift

For retailers, the findings point to a connected approach: publish the policy before checkout, apply it consistently in the return flow, offer exchanges while stock is available and use return reasons to improve product content, packaging and delivery performance.

nShift Returns supports self-service returns, exchange options and routing to the most appropriate destination, including stores. Retailers can use rules to adapt the return flow by market, customer and reason for return while keeping customers informed as the parcel moves back through the network.

The Ecommerce Returns Opportunity: Improving Experience, Conversion and Retention is available to download from IMRG.

About IMRG 

IMRG is where the UK ecommerce community lives. Since 2000, we have been tracking the performance of the UK online market, with an index comprised of 230 retailers based on ecommerce revenue of £30bn in 2025. We help retailers understand and improve their online performance, bringing the community together to share knowledge, tackle industry challenges, and drive the future of ecommerce. For more information, visit www.imrg.org.