Retailers adopt nuanced return policies

The trend: While many retailers have sought to combat rising return volumes by charging for returns, several merchants are adopting more nuanced approaches to protect their margins without turning shoppers off.

• Targeted fees: Asos on October 8 will begin charging UK shoppers who frequently return items a return fee of £3.95 ($5.26) unless they keep less than £40 ($53.22) worth of items, per the BBC.
• A sliding scale: Oh Polly earlier this year similarly began charging customers a return fee based on their rate of returns. Shoppers receive one free return, then are charged fees on a sliding scale that ranges from £2.99 ($3.98)—for those who return 0% to 50% of their online orders—to £8.99 ($11.96)—for those who return 90% to 100% of online orders.