Asos’s newly-updated UK returns policy has been praised for “getting serious about excessive returns”, as the digital retail giant is expected to be handling a reported 700,000-plus seasonal returns.
Reuters
Launching its new transparency tool for shoppers from tomorrow (6 January), customers with a return rate below 70% will continue to benefit from free returns.
It said shoppers whose historical returns surpass 70% of the total value of their past orders will also be exempt from paying the fashion retailer’s £3.95 charge if they return less than £40 worth of products from an order. But customers with a return rate of 80% or higher will be subject to an additional restocking fee of £3.95, on top of the £3.95 returns charge.
The policy, which intends to give more flexibility to frequent returners who keep most of the products they purchase, has been praised by global fulfilment provider fulfilmentcrowd that has called the move a “strong signal that retailers are getting serious about tackling the growing strain of excessive returns”.
The update comes after Asos rolled out a £3.95 return fee for customers with a high return rate in October 2024, unless they kept at least £40 worth of the items.
Under the new development, customers will be able to view their personal return rate in the company’s app, along with guidance and tips designed to help them make more informed purchasing decisions.
Shoppers who successfully improve their return rate will no longer be charged return fees, Asos confirmed.
New tools designed to help customers make better purchases, include videos and 360-degree imagery of models wearing the items, clearer size information and personalised recommendations via its ‘fit assistant’.
Asos executive vice-president of customer and commercial Ben Blake said: “We’re committed to keeping free returns available for all customers in all core markets, while ensuring we do so sustainably.
“To support this, we’re helping customers make informed choices by showing their return rate.
“For the small group with the highest return rates, we provide helpful hints and tips for shopping with confidence, and we’ve already seen this approach help customers make more informed decisions”.
Wider industry analysis has revealed that many retailers are cracking down on mass customer returns due to what they see as the abuse of returns policies. According to fulfilmentcrowd CEO Lee Thompson, “the cost of processing and managing returns has risen sharply in recent years, and this [Asos] decision is a clear attempt to protect both profitability and operational efficiency.
“It also reflects a wider shift across the fashion and e-commerce sectors towards creating a more sustainable and manageable returns culture. We expect to see more retailers adopting similar measures as the industry grapples with this challenge.”
Katie Shepherd, head of Marketing at fulfilmentcrowd, added: “Asos is moving from behind-the-scenes enforcement to proactive transparency — putting a shopper’s returns rate in-app and giving people the chance to change behaviour before they’re penalised. This is a shift towards tiered, data-led policies rather than blanket account bans”.
In the latest changes to APICCAPS’s structure, the Portuguese footwear, components, and leather goods manufacturers’ association announced the appointment of Paulo Gonçalves as executive director on January 9.
Paulo Gonçalves has been appointed executive director of APICCAPS
A graduate of social communication from the Porto School of Journalism, Paulo Gonçalves joined APICCAPS in 1998, at the start of his career. Since then, he has served as director of communications, being “responsible for defining and implementing the association’s communications strategy, as well as for relations with national and international media,” says the organisation, highlighting his work in “strengthening the Portuguese footwear sector’s position in international markets.”
The appointment to the position of executive director, resulting from a decision by the APICCAPS board, “recognises a professional career spanning 26 years in the service of the institution, marked by professionalism, competence and dedication.”
Founded in 1975, APICCAPS represents more than 1,500 companies across the Portuguese footwear cluster, which includes the footwear, footwear components, and leather goods industries, as well as the equipment industry and trade serving these sectors. Since 2017, it has been led by Luís Onofre, who was re-elected president two years ago.
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Recent news that Next was eyeing an acquisition of Russell & Bromley has been added to with reports that it has teamed up with a stock clearance specialist and that the premium footwear chain’s stores could disappear from the high street.
John Lewis/Russell & Bromley
The company is reportedly working with Retail Realisation on its offer for the retailer, a fact that reinforces Next’s interest in the IPR rather than the physical business.
Retail Realisation is a liquidation with links to Modella Capital, the company that controls TOFS and Claire’s UK, both of which are said to be in danger of administration filings.
Not that Next is a shoe-in as the new owner with its proposal said to be one of a number currently being considered by Russell & Bromley’s adviser Interpath.
Acquisition-hungry Next is also believed to be looking at a takeover deal for another key name in UK footwear, the distressed LK Bennett business.
Sky News cited “industry sources” saying the link-up between Next and Retail Realisation underlined its “interest in Russell & Bromley’s brand rather than its store estate or stock”.
Family-owned Russell & Bromley currently trades from 37 stores and employs more than 450 people. It’s run by fifth-generation family member Andrew Bromley and has Billie Piper as the face of the brand.
If Next bought only the IPR, it would leave the stores without the right to carry the Russell & Bromley name, reports said.
None of the parties involved have commented so far.
Amiri has named a new global brand ambassador, Japanese musician Yuta Jinguji, a member of boy band Number_i.
Yuta Jinguji
Jinguji has has a high international profile and as well as begin perfmorerinternational attention. In addition to his work as a performer, he serves as producer on many of Number_i’s songs.
The company said his “unique sense of personal style has also garnered attention, amplified by a devoted global fanbase. Celebrated for his refined yet bold approach to style, he is driven by a deep passion for fashion. Distinct and unmistakable, Jinguji’s look is as exceptional as his sound”.
Linking with musicians is a key part of the Mike Amiri’s Amiri brand identity and musicians from the all-important Asian market are hugely important to luxury labels in general.
That’s definitely the case with Amiri. Since opening its first flagship on Rodeo Drive in 2020, it has expanded globally, with standalone stores across Asia, including locations in Japan’s Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
It said that Yuta Jinguji is “a rising idol and cultural force, shaping the modern intersection of music, fashion, and global influence. His appointment as Global Brand Ambassador reflects Amiri’s forward-looking vision as a truly international luxury brand – with a future defined by creative collaboration, exchange of global perspectives, and the transformative power of personal style”.
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