Zalando holder fast på gratis retur

I 2019, gratis retur ble hailed as an "industry standard" in e-commerce, with major retailers such as Zara and H&M tightening up their return policies. However, German-based e-commerce giant Zalando remains steadfast in its free return policy. According to Sebastian Becker, the Nord chief, this policy is crucial for maintaining competitive edge, as Zalando is an entirely online retailer with no physical stores for customers to try on clothes.

Becker emphasizes that Zalando aims to bring the fitting rooms into customers' homes, as customers in the Nordics tend to return fewer items compared to global averages.

The company is also aware of its historically high return rate, as confirmed by a survey of major e-commerce players two years ago. While global return rates are significant, Zalando notes that Norwegian customers return fewer items on average. Despite the ongoing positive trend, Becker remains focused on further reducing "unnecessary returns."

He explains that this includes avoiding ordering the same item in three different sizes to keep only one pair, for example. Ordering a shoe in three different colors to determine the best fit is considered a separate case, as it requires better information about the appropriate size.

Zalando actively employs artificial intelligence to reduce the number of returns, such as analyzing customers' past purchases and returns to recommend a more accurate size when purchasing similar items. This strategy is particularly important for jeans, whose fit varies significantly. Zalando initiated a virtual fitting room for jeans to test how different sizes fit an avatar of the customer.

As a result, they saw a 40% decrease in returns for jeans in a pilot test. Generally, Zalando has observed that size and fit recommendations lead to a 10% reduction in returns overall.

In 2025, Zalando has cut 8% of all size-related returns. According to their yearly report, the company has seen results from AI in various areas, including image and advertising production. With the help of AI, Zalando now has 70% more content with the same cost, as reported by David Schroeder, Zalando's chief, in March to Reuters.

Gudretur policies are important for many customers, according to Kenneth Pettersen, the communications director of Posten, who notes that the return rate in Norway is relatively stable, though there are variations between different industries. While free returns are becoming less common, customers are still influenced by them, as mentioned in Posten.