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The Returnista Benchmark
Report 2026
From Strategy to Execution
How this report was created
This report combines real-world data with extensive research across the European e-commerce landscape bringing together consumer insights, merchant perspectives, and large-scale returns data to provide a comprehensive view on returns execution
Deploying consumer surveys
Deploying surveys with 1000+ consumers on return expectations and experiences
Interviewing 100+ merchants
Interviews on returns strategy, execution challenges and operational reality
Analyzing Returnista platform data
Observing real-world return flows across 1,000+ European brands
Conducting desk research
Reviewing existing reports, research and market benchmarks
Returns remain a mayor challenge
Returns remain a significant and growing challenge for e-commerce businesses. Every day, millions of packages are returned across Europe, representing tens of billions of euros in returned goods each year. As online shopping continues to scale, so does the operational and financial impact of returns.
However, return rates are far from uniform. They vary significantly across product categories, with some verticals structurally operating at much higher return levels than others. This variation highlights that returns are not just a general problem, but a category-specific challenge that requires tailored strategies.
Consumer expectations reshape
returns execution
The returns execution gap
Returns execution has become a competitive differentiator in e-commerce – yet many players in the market fail to excel on this topic.
Strategic ambition around returns has grown over time, but the execution capabilities have not kept pace.
This growing difference between strategic intent and operational capabilities creates what we call the Execution Gap: a structural mismatch between what merchants aim to deliver and what their returns operations can actually execute at scale.
The Returns Execution Framework
To close the execution gap between returns strategy and day-to-day operations, Returnista has developed a Returns Execution Framework designed to show:
- Where execution fails
- Why execution fails
- How to improve execution
The framework builds on four distinct domains in which execution challenges constantly arise:
Data & Insights
Is return data used in a closed feedback loop to improve policy and execution?
Returns policy
Reviewing existing return behavior governed by explicit and enforceable rules?
Revenue recovery
Are returns actively steered toward exchanges or store credit instead of refunds?
Returns operations
Can returns be executed at scale through self-service, orchestration and automation?
Explore the full report
This is only a snapshot of the full picture.
In the complete report, we break down how leading e-commerce players are closing the execution gap with detailed benchmarks, practical frameworks, and actionable insights across returns policy, operations, data, and revenue recovery.
Access the full report instantly
Get instant access to the complete Returnista Benchmark Report 2026 packed with real data, benchmarks, and actionable insights to improve your returns performance.
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