The Shifting Landscape of E-Commerce Returns: Insights from the DACH Region (2026)

The e-commerce landscape in the DACH region—comprising Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—is undergoing a profound transformation in how retailers manage the "last mile" of the customer journey: the return. As of the summer of 2026, new data from the EHI Retail Institute reveals a nuanced picture of an industry grappling with the dual pressures of operational efficiency and the relentless demand for customer satisfaction.

The study, titled "Shipping, Packaging and Returns Management in E-Commerce 2026," offers a comprehensive look at the logistical behaviors of 108 prominent online retailers. While the headlines suggest a stabilization of return rates, the underlying data points to a strategic pivot: retailers are moving away from treating returns as an unavoidable cost and are instead embracing them as a data-driven opportunity for operational optimization.

Main Facts: The State of Returns in 2026

The core finding of the EHI report is one of cautious optimism. A significant majority of retailers in the DACH region—66.7 percent—reported maintaining a maximum item-related return rate of 10 percent. This stability suggests that retailers are becoming more adept at preventing returns through improved product descriptions, better sizing tools, and enhanced quality control.

Furthermore, the "high-return" segment has seen a slight contraction. Retailers experiencing return rates exceeding 20 percent have decreased to 23.6 percent, down from 25 percent in 2025. However, this positive trend is counterbalanced by the fact that 18.7 percent of sellers reported that their return rates are still on an upward trajectory, compared to 14.7 percent in the previous year. This discrepancy underscores that while the average is stabilizing, specific sectors or business models continue to face significant challenges in managing customer expectations and product accuracy.

Chronology: A Year of Strategic Reversal

To understand where the market stands in 2026, one must look at the trajectory from 2025. Last year was marked by a general anxiety regarding the sustainability of free returns, with many retailers experimenting with "return fees" to discourage habitual returners and mitigate the rising costs of reverse logistics.

However, 2026 has witnessed a surprising "comeback" of the free return model. In 2025, only 49.2 percent of retailers covered the full cost of return shipping. By the summer of 2026, that figure had climbed to 60.6 percent. Simultaneously, the number of retailers shifting the entirety of return shipping costs onto the consumer plummeted from 18 percent in 2025 to just 10.6 percent this year.

This reversal suggests that the competitive landscape in the DACH region has reached a point of saturation where the friction of a return fee is increasingly viewed as a barrier to conversion. Retailers have concluded that while returns are expensive, the loss of customer lifetime value (CLV) associated with charging for returns is potentially more damaging to their bottom line.

Supporting Data: Sector-Specific Realities

The EHI report highlights the stark contrast between industries, proving that the "return problem" is far from universal.

The Fashion Challenge

The fashion industry remains the primary outlier. Despite efforts to improve sizing accuracy and virtual fitting technologies, 67.5 percent of fashion retailers reported return rates higher than 20 percent—an increase from 65.3 percent in 2025.

Interestingly, the internal distribution of these returns has shifted. While there has been a reduction in the number of retailers suffering from extreme return rates (those exceeding 50 percent), there has been a corresponding increase in the mid-to-high tier (35 to 50 percent). This indicates that the "extreme" outliers are being managed better, but the baseline for fashion returns remains stubbornly high.

Consumer Electronics: A Success Story

In stark contrast, the consumer electronics sector has seen a remarkable improvement. Retailers reporting return rates of 10 percent or less surged from 85.7 percent to 94.5 percent. Perhaps even more impressively, the cohort of electronics sellers dealing with return rates over 20 percent has effectively vanished, dropping from 4.8 percent to 0 percent. This success is largely attributed to clearer technical specifications, better customer support, and more robust unboxing/setup guidance provided before purchase.

The Financial Burden

The financial impact of these returns remains a significant operational hurdle. Return shipping costs were identified as the primary cost driver for 70.6 percent of the surveyed companies. While the costs associated with inspection and refurbishment have seen a slight decline in prominence—falling from 63.1 percent to 52.9 percent—the sheer volume of physical logistics continues to tax company resources.

For the majority of retailers, the cost per return is manageable but cumulative:

• Up to 5 euros: 33 percent of sellers
• 5 to 10 euros: 20 percent of sellers
• 10 to 20 euros: 15 percent of sellers
• Over 20 euros: Just under 6 percent of sellers

Official Responses and Strategic Shifts

The sentiment among logistics professionals reflects a move away from panic and toward precision. Niklas Stanislawski, Logistics Project Manager at EHI, notes that the industry is undergoing a fundamental shift in philosophy.

"Higher return rates are declining this year, leading to a slight shift towards lower values," Stanislawski explains. "Overall, the focus of returns management is shifting from a general cost issue to targeted root cause analysis and differentiated control."

This suggests that retailers are no longer asking how to stop returns, but why they happen. By analyzing data on a granular level—such as identifying specific product batches with high defect rates or web pages that lead to buyer remorse—retailers are applying surgical fixes rather than broad-spectrum policies.

When asked why they are choosing to absorb the costs of return shipping, the response from retailers is overwhelmingly focused on the "soft" metrics of business. Customer satisfaction and loyalty emerged as the primary drivers for 76.2 percent of respondents, a massive leap from 54.5 percent in 2025. Additionally, 64.3 percent cited competitive advantage and customer expectations as the driving forces behind their decision to maintain free return policies.

Implications: The Future of E-Commerce Logistics

The data from the 2026 EHI study paints a picture of a mature, customer-centric market. The implications for the remainder of the decade are clear:

1. The Death of the "One-Size-Fits-All" Return Policy

As retailers lean into root cause analysis, we can expect to see more "differentiated control." This means that return policies may soon become personalized. A loyal, low-return customer may be offered free returns as a perk, while a "serial returner" might face different terms or educational interventions during the checkout process.

2. Operational Efficiency as a Competitive Moat

With return shipping costs representing the largest share of the expense, the retailers who will win in the long run are those who can optimize their logistics networks. Whether through localized return hubs, better packaging that prevents damage in transit, or improved product content, the goal is to make the return process invisible and cost-effective.

3. Sustainability and the "Green" Return

While not explicitly highlighted as a primary driver, the push toward "root cause analysis" inherently supports sustainability. By reducing the number of returns, retailers are naturally lowering their carbon footprint associated with shipping. As ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting becomes more stringent for European retailers, the ability to report lower return rates will become a significant indicator of corporate responsibility.

4. The Power of Customer Loyalty

The shift back to free returns is the most telling implication of the 2026 data. In a crowded market, the retailer that makes the return experience as seamless as the purchase experience is the one that earns the customer’s trust. The decision to absorb these costs is an investment in the long-term relationship, signaling to the consumer that the brand stands behind its products and respects the buyer’s peace of mind.

Conclusion

As we look toward the end of 2026 and into 2027, the DACH e-commerce sector appears to be finding its equilibrium. By balancing the rising costs of logistics against the absolute necessity of customer loyalty, retailers are proving that they can navigate complex operational challenges. The move from "cost-cutting" to "root cause analysis" is a sign of a maturing industry—one that is learning that in the digital age, the most effective way to manage a return is to ensure the customer never feels the need to make one in the first place.