Fashion retailer New Look will begin charging £1.99 for online orders returned by post, as part of a new trial.
Customers will still be able to return ecommerce purchases in store for free, although the fashion retailer has recently announced the closure of six high street shops.
A spokesperson from New Look explained the decision to charge for returns was “in line with the wider industry, and reflects increased costs related to delivery and collection”.
The fashion retailer explained that the charge would enable it to “recover costs”.
“People are returning because they just don’t like the feel or look of it, so actually we’re never going to get that returns rate down really low. Therefore the offset is, by charging for return, we can keep our sales price lower and that is why we’ve introduced it,” a New Look source said.
Zara set the precedent in May 2022 when it introduced a returns fee of £1.95, which is deducted from the customer’s total refunded amount.
This was quickly followed by Boohoo. The online fashion group made a policy change in the small print of its app and website, informing customers that a £1.99 charge would be deducted from any refund issued.
