The proportion of retailers in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland now offering free returns reached 60.6% in 2026, an increase from 49.2% the prior year. Meanwhile, the share of sellers shifting return shipping costs entirely to customers fell from 18% to 10.6%. According to respondents, customer satisfaction and loyalty are the main reasons to cover return shipping costs, with this factor increasing from 54.5% last year to 76.2% this year. Competitive positioning and customer expectations also play a key role, as 64.3% of sellers cited these as main reasons, compared to 60.6% in 2025.
Return rates across the DACH region have plateaued, with 66.7% of retailers enforcing a 10% cap on returns per item. The percentage of sellers reporting rates exceeding 20% dropped to 23.6%, down from 25% in 2025. The findings come from a survey of 108 major online retailers, which also revealed that 18.7% now report rising return rates—up from 14.7% the previous year.
Niklas Stanislawski, Logistics Project Manager at the EHI Retail Institute, noted that returns management is shifting. “The focus of returns management is shifting from a general cost issue to targeted root cause analysis and differentiated control,” he explained. This indicates retailers are adopting more precise strategies to address specific return drivers.
Fashion continues to pose the greatest challenges, with 67.5% of sellers reporting return rates above 20%, up from 65.3% in 2025. However, fewer retailers now face rates exceeding 50%, while those with rates between 35% and 50% have grown. In contrast, consumer electronics showed marked improvement: 94.5% of sellers now report rates of 10% or less, up from 85.7%, and none exceed 20%.
Return shipping remains the single largest cost component, accounting for 70.6% of returns-related expenses. Inspection and refurbishment costs have declined in concern, now affecting 52.9% of sellers, down from 63.1%. Most retailers report return-related costs under €20, with 33% spending up to €5, 19% between €5 and €10, and 15% between €10 and €20. Only 6% face costs exceeding €20 per return.
