EcommerceInsights

63% of U.S. Shoppers Have Walked Away Over a Return Policy, Loop Survey Finds

A Loop survey finds return policies can deter U.S. online shoppers before checkout. Zara, H&M and Sephora show how brands are drawing different lines around fees and return routes.

Published: Sep 25, 2026 4:29 PM Updated: Sep 25, 2026 4:32 PM

By Jeanel Alvarado

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63% of U.S. Shoppers Have Walked Away Over a Return Policy, Loop Survey Finds

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A return policy can influence a sale before anything has been shipped. In Loop’s 2026 U.S. survey, 63% of respondents said they had abandoned a purchase or stopped shopping with a retailer because of its return policy. Another 58% said they often or always check that policy before buying online.

Featured image: The Returns Revenue Gap report artwork, courtesy of Loop. RETAILBOSS visualization of Loop’s U.S. consumer-survey finding. The 1,000 consumer respondents had made an online return in the prior six months; this is self-reported experience, not a measured lost-sales rate. Source: Loop.

The fee is only part of the decision The survey does not establish that free returns are the answer for every retailer. While 92% said return fees affect how they shop, 36% said they would pay for a more premium return experience. The finding points to a value question: what does the shopper receive in exchange for a fee?

Current U.S. policies show different answers. Zara accepts free in-store returns but deducts $4.95 for a drop-off return. H&M also keeps in-store returns free while charging $5.99 for mail-in returns. Both make the return route, not simply the purchase, the basis for the fee. RETAILBOSS comparison of published U.S.

return options. Sources: Zara and H&M; policies checked September 2026. Sephora offers free returns for Sephora.com orders by prepaid mail label or at its stores, subject to its policy. But a purchase made through Sephora’s TikTok Shop must be registered…

Loop U.S. survey: 63 percent have abandoned a purchase or stopped shopping because of a return policy

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