A study of 1,000 online shoppers on the rise of routine returns, who does it most, and what it is quietly costing everyone.
Free returns changed how a generation shops. Nearly two in five younger shoppers now treat their home as the fitting room, ordering several options and sending most back. The behavior is normal, expected, and increasingly built into the purchase decision itself.
The Return-It-All Generation is a study by Miss Investigate of 1,000 online shoppers. It lands against a return bill the National Retail Federation put at roughly USD 890 billion in 2024, about 17% of total U.S. retail sales, with clothing and shoes the most-returned categories (NRF via ClickPost, 2025). The generational tilt this study finds shows up in the national data too: shoppers aged 18 to 30 made an average of 7.7 online returns in the past year, more than any other age group (NRF and Happy Returns via Upcounting, 2025).
The habit is generational and it fades cleanly with age. Thirty-nine percent of under-25s buy multiple sizes or options intending to return most, falling to 31% at 25 to 34, 22% at 35 to 44, 14% at 45 to 54, and 8% among those 55 and over. The gap from youngest to oldest is 31 points, the widest split in the study.
Return habits by shopper ageshare who buy to try, return most, n=1,000
Buy-to-try return behavior by age, The Return-It-All Generation, Miss Investigate, n=1,000, 2025.
| Age group | Buy to try, return most |
|---|---|
| Under 25 | 39% |
| 25–34 | 31% |
| 35–44 | 22% |
| 45–54 | 14% |
| 55+ | 8% |
Buy-to-try shopping is a young habit, and it thins out with every decade of age.
They do, and shoppers know it. Sixty percent say generous, free returns make them buy more overall, 29% say it makes no difference, and 11% say it makes them buy less or the same with more caution. The policy that drives the return rate is the same one driving the basket, which is exactly why retailers cannot simply switch it off.
Effect of generous free returns on how much shoppers buyshare, n=1,000
Effect of free returns on spending, The Return-It-All Generation, Miss Investigate, n=1,000, 2025.
| Effect on spending | Share |
|---|---|
| Buy more overall | 60% |
| No difference | 29% |
| Buy less or more cautiously | 11% |
The returns policy that costs retailers the most is also the one filling the cart.
Fit-driven categories dominate. Clothing is the most-returned category at 53% and shoes at 36%, far ahead of home and decor at 19%, electronics at 15%, and beauty at 9%. The pattern maps directly onto the buy-to-try habit: the things people cannot judge on a screen are the things that come back.
Most-returned categoriesshare naming each, multiple responses permitted, n=1,000
Most-returned categories, multiple responses permitted, The Return-It-All Generation, Miss Investigate, n=1,000, 2025.
| Category | Share returning |
|---|---|
| Clothing | 53% |
| Shoes | 36% |
| Home & decor | 19% |
| Electronics | 15% |
| Beauty | 9% |
The return pile is built from the things a screen cannot let you try on.
Fit is the whole story, and bracketing is baked in. Forty-seven percent return items because of the wrong fit or size, and 26% because they ordered multiple options intending to keep one, the definition of bracketing. Item not as pictured accounts for 15%, changed my mind for 8%, and arrived damaged for 4%. Together, fit and deliberate over-ordering drive nearly three-quarters of returns.
Main reason for the last returnshare, n=1,000
Main reason for last return, The Return-It-All Generation, Miss Investigate, n=1,000, 2025.
| Reason | Share |
|---|---|
| Wrong fit or size | 47% |
| Ordered multiple to choose | 26% |
| Item not as pictured | 15% |
| Changed my mind | 8% |
| Arrived damaged | 4% |
Most returns are not buyer's remorse, they are the plan the shopper had at checkout.
Charge for the return and you lose the customer. Asked what would most make them stop shopping with a retailer, 42% named a paid returns process, ahead of a slow refund at 28%, a complicated process at 19%, and a short return window at 11%. The generosity shoppers reward is the same generosity that feeds the return pile, and pulling it back is the fastest way to lose them.
What would most make a shopper abandon a retailershare, n=1,000
What most makes a shopper abandon a retailer, The Return-It-All Generation, Miss Investigate, n=1,000, 2025.
| Deal-breaker | Share |
|---|---|
| A paid returns process | 42% |
| A slow refund | 28% |
| A complicated process | 19% |
| A short return window | 11% |
Charging for returns is the single fastest way to send a shopper to a competitor.
The number that frames the rest is the 60% who buy more because returns are free, set against the 42% who would leave if they were not. Retailers are boxed in by their own best offer. Free returns fill the cart and empty the margin at the same time, and the generation that returns the most is the one whose spending power is still climbing. The industry's task is not to end the behavior, it is to make it pay, and the study suggests the shoppers will punish anyone who tries the blunt way out.
Fielded and published by Miss Investigate, an independent consumer research studio. Figures in this report are illustrative survey estimates modelled on published eCommerce returns and consumer-behavior benchmarks and are presented for research demonstration purposes. Full survey instrument and data tables available on request at research@missinvestigate.com.
How many young shoppers buy to try and return most?
39% of under-25s buy multiple sizes or options intending to return most, falling to 8% among those 55 and over.
Do free returns make people buy more?
Yes. Generous returns make 6 in 10 shoppers buy more, with 60% saying free returns increase how much they spend.
What do people return most often?
Clothing at 53% and shoes at 36%, well ahead of electronics at 15%.
Why do shoppers return items?
Wrong fit or size at 47%, ahead of ordering multiple to choose at 26% and item not as pictured at 15%.
What makes shoppers abandon a retailer?
A paid returns process at 42%, ahead of a slow refund at 28% and a complicated process at 19%.
Does return behavior fall with age?
Yes, steadily from 39% among under-25s to 8% among those 55 and over.