Why do Consumers Return Products?: Online Product Return Behavior of Young Female Consumers with Special Reference to the Fashion Industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

E-commerce is getting increasingly popular around the world. Following the COVID- 19 epidemic, e-commerce in Sri Lanka surged considerably. The fashion industry is a well-known industry that sells products to consumers via online channels such as social media and websites. Young, tech-savvy female consumers are becoming increasingly important in online retailing specifically in the fashion industry. Online product returns are a relatively new field in the Sri Lankan setting, therefore researchers utilized qualitative methodology to study the unique phenomena. In this study, the researchers identified the factors influencing online product returns among young female (Gen Z) consumers in the Sri Lankan context. 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with both buyers and sellers to gather data for the study. The purposive sampling technique is used to select the respondent for the study. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Researchers categorized the factors under three main themes such as customer requirement mismatch, cultural issues, and late deliveries. In addition, the researchers discovered customer recommendations for online fashion retailers to reduce online product returns. Furthermore, the researchers explored the fraudulent practices of consumers such as intentional damage to the product by reviewing bad comments, not paying for the delivery, placing the order without paying upfront, and not buying the product. In addition to that, researchers identified recommendations from customers to retailers to reduce online product returns. The implications of this study will help online fashion retailers reduce product returns by understanding customer expectations.