Conclusion: return-reason codes were built to route the item (restock, refurbish, or refund), not to explain why the shopper sent it back. So "I couldn't tell how it would look on me" has no box to tick, and that demand hides inside "wrong size" and "changed my mind." Size or fit is already the #1 cited reason, ~53% of apparel returns at one tracker and up to ~70% including style (Coresight, EEA), and color or appearance adds ~16%, so roughly 69% of cited reasons are about how the item looked or fit, which a shopper judges before buying. These are cited reasons, not proven causes. The fix is a taxonomy change, not another size chart: add a "didn't look how I pictured it" reason code, watch for a month, and if it pulls volume from "wrong size," your lever is pre-purchase visualization (59% say a try-on helps them picture an item, Nosto; AR users were 80% more confident, Snap).
Return-reason codes were built to route the item, not explain the shopper. With no box for "I couldn't tell how it would look on me," that demand hides inside "wrong size" and "changed my mind."
| Cited reason | Share of returns | Fixable before the sale? |
|---|---|---|
| Size or fit | 53% | Yes, with clearer fit info and an on-body preview |
| Color or appearance | 16% | Partly, with true color and an on-body view |
| Damaged or defective | 10% | No, this is a quality and packing issue |
| Other or not recorded | ~21% | Unknown until you add a reason for it |
These are cited reasons, a survey answer, not a proven cause (see: virtual try-on statistics that survive a fact-check).
Most returns are about how the item looked or fit, which a shopper judges before buying. 59% say a try-on helps them picture an item (Nosto); AR users were 80% more confident (Snap). So the lever is pre-purchase confidence, not a fourth size-chart rewrite.
Size or fit is the #1 cited reason, about 53% of apparel returns at one tracker and up to ~70% including style (Coresight, EEA). It is a cited survey reason, not a proven cause.
Most reason codes were built to route the item, not explain the shopper. With no box for "didn't look how I expected," that demand hides inside "wrong size" and "changed my mind."
Add a reason code like "didn't look how I pictured it," then watch for a month. If it pulls volume from "wrong size," your lever is a better preview, not another size chart.
It can raise pre-purchase confidence: 59% say a try-on helps them picture an item (Nosto) and AR users were 80% more confident (Snap). Measure any effect on your own store with a holdout.