Returns Are Part of Shopping Now. Giving People Options Makes Them Easier.
Returns are no longer an exception to online shopping. They are part of the experience. People buy with more confidence when they know there is a simple way back if something is the wrong size, the colour is not quite right, or they change their mind. But that does not mean they want to spend their evening printing labels, finding order numbers or racing to a drop-off point before it closes. The easier path is to give people options.
What makes a return feel too hard?
Usually, it is not one big thing. It is a string of small jobs that arrive at the worst possible time:
- A label that needs printing, on a printer that is out of ink.
- A post office or depot that shuts before the working day does.
- Nowhere to drop it close to home or work.
Why do return options matter?
Because people do not all return parcels the same way. Some will use the default return method without a second thought. Others need something that fits around work, school pick-up, errands, weekends or the one evening they actually have free. A good returns experience does not force one path. It gives people a choice that feels realistic, so returning something becomes a quick task instead of another piece of life admin.
How does PARCELPOINT make returns easier?
PARCELPOINT gives people another way to return. With over 2,000 locations in local shops, many open early, late or on weekends, shoppers can drop off a return while they are already out: after work, on the school run, while grabbing groceries or on the way to somewhere else. For participating retailers, label-free returns make the process even simpler: the shopper shows a QR code, the store scans it, and the return is on its way. No printer, no special trip, no waiting around for a narrow window.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Australians abandon returns?
About 7.3 million Australians have skipped returning an item because the process was too difficult.
- What is the main reason people give up on returns?
Usually, friction. Printing labels, limited opening hours, inconvenient locations and too many steps can make the return feel harder than it needs to be.
- How do you make returns easier for customers?
Give people options: a default path when that suits, local drop-off points when it does not, opening hours that fit real life and label-free returns where available.
Make returns easier: PARCELPOINT gives people over 2,000 local shop locations to return a parcel, with many open early, late or on weekends. Find your nearest PARCELPOINT or talk to our team about adding PARCELPOINT returns.
Source
- news.com.au / Yahoo Finance, “Australia’s $20bn online returns problem”, Andrew Hedgman, 11 May 2026: https://www.news.com.au/national/australias-20-billion-online-returns-problem-prompts-doorstep-pickup-solution/news-story/b09e6a0d306ddda3694d2dec09403d6b
EDITOR NOTE: The article does not name the survey behind the 7.3 million figure, and the original draft said people abandon a return “partway through”. The source says they avoided returning items because it was too difficult, so the wording has been aligned. The story is built around a ReSmart funding announcement. Try asking ReSmart for the underlying survey.
Related reading
- Australians Send Back $20 Billion a Year. What Does That Cost Retailers?
- Unreturned Items: Australians Are Sitting on $590 in Goods They Meant to Send Back
- Why 93% of Shoppers Check the Return Policy Before They Buy