
Uniqlo returns free#
Knowing your size will always be the same could stop the need to buy two or even three of one item, a win for shoppers and the environment.Īfter years of free returns, charges will be frustrating, but if they lead to less waste and better fits, they’ll be worth every penny.𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. We could also see retailers putting more effort into sizing, with virtual AR try-ons, better size guides, more representative models, and improved, consistent fits. With the threat of a charge looming, the clothes in our wardrobes might start to look a little more appealing. Without free returns on the table, shoppers may think twice about buying 10 items when they know they’ll only keep five (sometimes referred to as “ bracketing”) or buying clothes purely for social media content.

While the move is financially, rather than environmentally, motivated, charging for returns could well have the same effect.
Uniqlo returns full#
It turns out we just didn’t want to pay for something that we already had a cupboard full of at home. Between 2015 (when the 5p plastic bag charge was introduced) and 2020, plastic carrier bag take-up dropped by more than 95% in England’s main supermarkets. Cost and convenience trump sustainability more often than not when it comes to purchasing decisions, so sometimes it takes a radical move on behalf of the brand, or government, to change behaviour.

To exchange product through online purchase can be done only at any UNIQLO stores. After all, other environmental and human impacts of fast fashion are out there for all to see and yet the sector continues to thrive. We accept the return and refund within 30 days from the purchase date. But even if it was widely known, it wouldn’t guarantee people would stop treating returns so flippantly. The impact of returns is a fairly well-kept secret, likely to keep people shopping guilt-free. Everyone knows it’s near-impossible to open one without tearing a huge hole in it, so every return requires yet another new bag. About 180bn plastic poly bags are produced every year to store, protect and transport clothes and footwear, and less than 15% of them are collected for recycling. When clothes don’t become rubbish, there’s still the impact of the extra shipping to consider, as well as the packaging waste. It’s a hideous waste of resources, not to mention an insult to the skilled people who put their time into making each product, but it’s the reality of modern fashion, and retail in general.

It’s a complex process and sometimes the cheapest and easiest solution is simply cutting the loss and sending the whole lot to landfill. Buttons need to be rebuttoned, cardboard inserts need to be put back in, labels need to be reattached, products need refolding and rebagging, and then they must be put back into stock on the system. Processing returns is time-consuming and costly. Merchandise purchased on must be returned within 30 days of the order date found on the invoice. In the US, 2.6m tonnes of returned goods end up in landfill every year, generating 15m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

When clothes are returned, they’re likely to be thrown away rather than resold. It’s incredibly cheeky behaviour, but there’s also another glaring issue with the practice: returns have a terrible impact on the environment.
