Ecommerce returns and shipping statistics (2026)
Every statistic below is a self-contained, quotable sentence with an attributed source. Saara network benchmarks come from aggregated, anonymised merchant data defined in the Saara measurement methodology. Last updated 2026-08-14.
Ecommerce returns statistics
How often shoppers return online orders, what it costs merchants, and how the numbers differ by category.
- $890B - US retailers handled roughly $890 billion in returned merchandise in 2024, equal to about 16.9% of total annual retail sales. Source: NRF & Happy Returns, 2024 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry (2024).
- ~17% - Online purchases are returned at roughly double the rate of in-store purchases, with ecommerce return rates commonly reported near 17% versus around 8% in physical stores. Source: NRF & Happy Returns returns research (2024).
- 20-30% - Apparel and footwear carry the highest ecommerce return rates of any major category, typically 20-30%, while beauty and electronics sit closer to 4-6%. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
- 15.14% - Retailers estimate that 15.14% of returns in 2024 were fraudulent, including wardrobing, receipt fraud and returns of stolen goods. Source: NRF & Appriss Retail returns fraud research (2024).
- 76% - Around three quarters of online shoppers check the return policy before completing a purchase, and free returns remain one of the strongest purchase triggers in ecommerce. Source: Narvar / PwC consumer returns surveys (2025).
- ~52% - Roughly half of fashion returns are size or fit related, making sizing guidance the single largest controllable driver of apparel return volume. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
Cost of returns statistics
What each return actually costs once shipping, labour, restocking and markdowns are counted.
- 20-30% of order value - Processing a single ecommerce return typically consumes 20-30% of the original order value once reverse shipping, inspection, restocking, customer support time and markdowns are included. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
- 166 to 139 - USPS shifted its dimensional weight divisor from 166 to 139 for Ground Advantage and Priority Mail, which increases billable weight on lightweight, bulky return parcels. Source: USPS 2026 shipping services price change (2026).
- 5.9% - FedEx and UPS both announced average general rate increases of 5.9% for 2026, with surcharges rising faster than base rates on residential and returns traffic. Source: FedEx and UPS 2026 rate announcements (2026).
- Up to 40% - Converting refunds into exchanges or store credit retains up to 40% of revenue that would otherwise leave the business as cash refunds. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
Shipping and delivery statistics
Delivery expectations, carrier mix and the operational cost of WISMO.
- 50-70% - Where-is-my-order (WISMO) enquiries account for 50-70% of ecommerce support tickets at brands without a self-serve tracking page. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
- 48% - Extra costs such as shipping, taxes and fees are the single most cited reason for checkout abandonment, named by 48% of shoppers who abandon a cart. Source: Baymard Institute checkout abandonment research (2025).
- Up to 25% - Rate-shopping across multiple carriers instead of a single contracted carrier reduces average parcel spend by up to 25% on mixed domestic and international volume. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
- 90%+ - More than nine in ten online shoppers expect proactive delivery updates, and branded tracking pages are among the highest-engagement post-purchase touchpoints a brand owns. Source: Narvar post-purchase consumer research (2025).
AI and automation in ecommerce
How merchants are adopting AI agents, MCP and automation across the post-purchase stack.
- Majority of retailers - A majority of retailers now report active generative-AI deployments in customer service, merchandising or marketing, with post-purchase support among the earliest production use cases. Source: McKinsey State of AI (2025).
- Open standard - The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard introduced by Anthropic in November 2024 that lets AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT call external tools and data sources, including ecommerce platforms. Source: Anthropic, Model Context Protocol (2024).
- 60-80% - Automated returns portals with policy rules resolve 60-80% of return requests without any human agent involvement. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
- Up to 30% - Brands combining AI-driven returns prevention, exchange-first policies and fraud detection reduce overall return rates by 20-30% within two quarters. Source: Saara network benchmark (see methodology) (2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the average ecommerce return rate in 2026?
The average ecommerce return rate is 8-10% across all categories, but online purchases overall are returned near 17% by value. Apparel and footwear run 20-30%, home goods 8-12%, and beauty and electronics 4-6%.
How much does an ecommerce return cost?
A single ecommerce return typically costs 20-30% of the original order value once reverse shipping, inspection, restocking, support time and markdowns are counted. Lightweight bulky items cost more in 2026 because USPS moved its dimensional divisor from 166 to 139.
What percentage of ecommerce returns are fraudulent?
Retailers estimated 15.14% of returns were fraudulent in 2024, covering wardrobing, receipt fraud, and returns of stolen merchandise.
Can I cite these statistics?
Yes. Every statistic on this page is a single self-contained sentence with an attributed source. Saara network benchmarks are drawn from aggregated, anonymised merchant data and defined in the Saara measurement methodology.