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| Christmas gift returns set to hit postal system | Christmas gift returns set to hit postal system |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Royal Mail expects 2 January, the first working day of the year for postal workers in the UK, to be the busiest for returning unwanted Christmas gifts. | Royal Mail expects 2 January, the first working day of the year for postal workers in the UK, to be the busiest for returning unwanted Christmas gifts. |
| Returns on "Takeback Thursday" were expected to be 72% higher than the average day in December. | Returns on "Takeback Thursday" were expected to be 72% higher than the average day in December. |
| It said most people will send back their unwanted and ill-fitting Christmas presents on that day. | It said most people will send back their unwanted and ill-fitting Christmas presents on that day. |
| And three in five of those shoppers said they may not use a retailer again if they have a bad returns experience. | And three in five of those shoppers said they may not use a retailer again if they have a bad returns experience. |
| "With the festive season now over, January is the busiest time of the year for returns," Royal Mail said. | "With the festive season now over, January is the busiest time of the year for returns," Royal Mail said. |
| The average consumer in the UK returns an item bought online about once a month, the company found in a study. | The average consumer in the UK returns an item bought online about once a month, the company found in a study. |
| 50% returns rate | 50% returns rate |
| It showed that people would buy more online where a "try before you buy" option is available. | It showed that people would buy more online where a "try before you buy" option is available. |
| Sarah McVittie - co-founder of Dressipi, which uses data to help retailers better manage their returns and predict what customers will like - told the BBC that returns were a "natural cost" of doing business online, especially for clothing. | Sarah McVittie - co-founder of Dressipi, which uses data to help retailers better manage their returns and predict what customers will like - told the BBC that returns were a "natural cost" of doing business online, especially for clothing. |
| "You don't always know what it looks like, feels like, how it hangs on you," she said. | "You don't always know what it looks like, feels like, how it hangs on you," she said. |
| As a result, return rates for online retailers range from about 30% to as high as 50%, she told Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money. | As a result, return rates for online retailers range from about 30% to as high as 50%, she told Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money. |
| That compares to between 5% and 10% of items bought in store. | That compares to between 5% and 10% of items bought in store. |
| Laura Foll, a fund manager at Janus Henderson Investors, said some online retailers reported that customers returned more items than they held on to. | Laura Foll, a fund manager at Janus Henderson Investors, said some online retailers reported that customers returned more items than they held on to. |
| She said retailers were often "coy" and tried to avoid revealing their return figures. | She said retailers were often "coy" and tried to avoid revealing their return figures. |
| "But when they do, they're really quite staggering," she said. | "But when they do, they're really quite staggering," she said. |
| Are you returning a Christmas gift by post? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | |
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