Holiday Spending

Shoppers push back on tougher return policies

Stores charging higher return fees and shortening the window for returns

Shoppers are spending big this holiday season, but returns are rising, creating tension between retailers and consumers.

Stores like Saks and Zara now charge return fees and shorten return windows to combat rising costs and return fraud, which accounted for nearly 14% of all returns in 2023, up from 10.4% the previous year.

Retailers are working to balance stricter policies with better customer experiences as returns continue to grow.