Online retailers must do more to reduce returns, Threekit

82% of US online shoppers believe that retailers should do all they can to reduce purchase returns, due to their negative impact on the environment, according to research by Threekit.

Its survey of over 1,900 people also found that 76% would return or exchange items less often if retailers provided more accurate product images and details.

“More than 64% of shoppers report returning purchases because the items did not match the description or their expectations, according to Statista,” says Ben Houston, Threekit’s Founder and Chief Technology Officer. 

“We’ve seen from our customers that the simple act of providing more and higher quality product images reduces the rate of returns by as much as 40%. It’s clear that the e-commerce industry is falling short, and our planet is getting stuck with the cost.”

The startup is calling on Amazon to join its Visuals Make a Difference initiative. By doing so, it would: adopt a standard of at least eight different images per product page; support and promote the use of interactive 3D product configuration and customisation on its pages; support augmented reality capabilities for furniture and home appliances.

Further details here.

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