Boohoo follows in Zara’s footsteps with return fee for online orders
Fast fashion retailer Boohoo has introduced a return fee of £1.99, following in the footsteps of Zara.
The Manchester-based brand said it had made the decision because costs for retailers, including shipping, have increased considerably over the past few months.
A Boohoo group spokesperson told The Mirror: “As the cost of shipping has increased, we’ve had to look at where we can adapt without compromising what our customers love most, the convenience of shopping with us and the great value that our brands offer.
“This has meant that we will be applying a charge of £1.99 to returns so that we can continue to offer great prices and products and do this in a more sustainable way.”
Boohoo admitted earlier this year that shoppers were returning clothes more than expected, causing its share price to further plunge.
In May, Zara started charging customers who return items bought online as fast fashion giants face increasing pressure to reduce unsustainable behaviour.
The retailer, owned by the world’s largest fashion company Inditex, introduced a £1.95 fee for the return of products at third party drop off points.
However, customers can still return online orders at any Zara store free of charge, which a spokesperson said was what “most customers do.”
The retailer had introduced the measure to reduce the environmental impact of ‘last mile’ transport and to encourage shoppers to return clothes to stores.
The fast fashion industry is coming under more scrutiny for its detrimental environmental impact.
“Fundamentally, returns are a massive issue in terms of clothing waste and fashion’s impact on the planet,” Ali Moore, from the non-profit sustainable fashion campaign Love Not Landfill, told CityA.M. earlier this year.
Fashion production makes up 10 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions with the industry emitting more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined.