When you click "free returns," someone pays. Usually, it's the planet.
The average online return travels 2,600 miles before reaching a warehouse. Roughly 25% of returned clothing is never resold — it goes straight to landfill.
Some startups are rethinking the model entirely. Tryon uses AR to let customers visualize clothing on their actual body measurements. Early data shows a 40% reduction in return rates.
The era of consequence-free returns is ending.