Onlinehandel: Onlinekäufer schicken so viele Pakete zurück wie nie zuvor

In Germany, the number of returned packages from online orders is set to hit an all-time high in 2026, with customers expected to send back 560 million packages, according to calculations by Björn Asdecker, a returns researcher from the University of Bamberg. The figure was 550 million packages last year. The increase is attributed to further growth in online shopping coupled with a relatively stable return rate.

Nearly a quarter of all online ordered packages are returned, says Asdecker. The percentage of returned packages could even grow, as more people now shop via smartphone apps, not just computers: "Smartphone apps enable quicker purchases with less information consumed beforehand before hitting the 'order' button." The high volume of returns is also due to many online retailers offering free returns, often funded by higher article prices.

Clothing is the most frequently returned item, with over 80% of returned packages and nearly 90% of returned items belonging to the fashion segment. This development poses additional margin pressure on retailers, as the costs for returns are significant. About 20% of them incur expenses over 10 euros per return, mainly due to the return logistics, which account for roughly two-thirds of the return costs.

Many retailers pass these costs onto customers through higher product prices. The high number of returns forces retailers to experiment with AI solutions to better analyze returns. Nearly one in ten surveyed retailers is currently testing AI-based solutions for return management, according to the EHI trade research institute. However, AI remains largely a pilot project so far and is not yet widely operationalized.