The latest from the Inditex empire is not going to please those who screamed to heaven (or, rather, on social networks) when the textile group began charging for gift bags and envelopes in all its brands or asking customers that they return the clothes of the fitting rooms hanged. And we are officially before the end of free online returns. At least in Zara.
The Wednesday, February 1, 2023 It will go down in history as the day when Zara’s online returns in Spain ceased to be free and began to cost, thus joining the rest of its European markets, where this measure began to be applied last spring.
In this way, Zara already informs customers on its website that, while they can continue to change or return items for free at any of the stores in the country/region where they made the purchases, changes and returns at home have a cost of 1.95 euros:
“Returns of orders placed after February 1, 2023 will have a cost of 1.95 euros that will be deducted from the amount reimbursed”, explains the firm of Amancio Ortega. This is exactly the same amount that he charges in other European countries.
In addition to the store, Zara also points out that orders can be returned free of charge through a delivery point in the same country or region where the purchase was made.
The free returns policy was created to boost sales through the online channel and thus deal with the reluctance of customers to start buying clothes online. However, at a time when the percentage of garments sold remotely exceeds 25%the textile giant considers that the acceptance in other markets of the measure has been well accepted and has had no impact on sales.
In fact, the CEO of the company, Oscar García Maceiras, explained in a press conference with analysts that two positive effects have been appreciated. On the one hand, the increase in store returns and, on the other, the reduction of the period for the return by customers. “Even from the perspective of sustainability, consumers understand that it is a trend that will be implemented throughout the industry in the coming years,” they said from the firm.
Although customers from towns where there are no physical stores probably disagree, sources from the Galician company have indicated that the intention is to charge for online returns spreads to the rest of the chains in the group.
Photos | Highlight ID