Over half of retailers (51 per cent) report online sales growth of 25 per cent or more per year; with four in ten retailers saying that customer inability to identify which size to buy is a major barrier to conversion online.
A survey from online virtual fitting room provider Fits.me found that 38 per cent of respondents said selling multiple brands with inconsistent sizing standards mean that sizing was “much more of an issue”, with vanity sizing cited as being behind fit issues by 15 per cent.
In total, 79 per cent that sizing was becoming more of an issue, while 65 per cent of respondents said that reducing returns is a key performance indicator (KPI) for their business.
Heikki Haldre, founder and chief executive of Fits.me, said: “A significant majority of retailers are evidently recognising that they must tackle the issue of returns, as it is costs them substantial amounts of money. But it is a disturbingly large minority that still does not see the reduction of returns as worthy of being a KPI.
“E-commerce performance is not just about increasing web-based sales volumes or values; it is also about ensuring that products stay sold. There’s no point in striving to push garments out of the front door while 20 per cent of them sneak back in through the back door.”