Zara has put an end to free postal returns
In news that personally affects me (and any other avid online shoppers) immensely, Zara has now ended free postal returns. Yep, the days of ordering the same dress in two (or even three) different sizes online at no extra cost are officially done - unless you're prepared to return the items in-store.
This month, the Spanish retailer confirmed that it will now charge online shoppers who wish to send back unwanted goods via their drop-off points a £1.95 fee.
"Returns of orders placed from 03.05.2022 onwards will have a cost of 1.95 GBP, that will be deducted from the refunded amount," reads the Zara UK website's returns page.
Notably, though, shoppers can still return their items in-store for free.
"You can return your order at any Zara store free of charge in the same market/region where you made the purchase," adds the site. "You only have to present the purchase receipt along with the items you wish to return."
The news has been met with mixed reactions on Twitter, with some unhappy about the changes. One user wrote:
"Zara making changes to your free returns which now cost your customers and making no announcement about it? Not cool."
Others, however, have praised the move for its environmental impact, saying it is a "great measure to help stop C02 emissions".
Introducing a fee for returns could also impact haul culture, where users share their large orders online, commenting on what they think they'll keep or return. The #ZaraHaul hashtag has over 2.6 billion views on TikTok alone, so this could even prompt shoppers to be considered and deliberate with their purchases.
Zara isn't the first retailer to start charging for online returns, joining the likes of Uniqlo and Next. The question is, will this news prompt other high street retailers to follow suit?
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