Expert tips for retailers on how to reduce bracketing practices

Millions of shoppers in the UK buy more fashion items than they ever intend to keep, but retailers can minimise this, according to new expert advice.

Research by fulfilmentcrowd – a global fulfilment provider, driven by technology to support high growth omni-channel brands – investigated the evolving issue of “bracketing” – when customers order multiple sizes or colours of the same product, intending to keep only one and return the rest.

From a survey of 1,002 UK shoppers, fulfilmentcrowd found that the majority (62%) have or would bracket in some capacity when it comes to purchasing fashion items online.

For those that have (or would) bracket, the research delved into the types of doing so – with the most common way to bracket being purchasing multiple sizes of particular product (40% of those who bracket). Buying multiple colours of particular product (35% of those who bracket), multiple styles of product type/category (24% of those who bracket), and varying price points of product type/category (11% of those who bracket) also featured.

Things that encouraged consumers to bracket include returns being free and easy (34% of those who bracket), there being a minimum spend threshold for free delivery (12% of those who bracket), and promotions or discounts (9% of those who bracket).

Lee Thompson, CEO at fulfilmentcrowd, added:  “According to Retail Economics, serial returners send back £6.6billion of online purchasers per year! However, our research discovered that most consumers (83%) could be further encouraged to reduce or avoid bracketing. Factors that would most impact this include more accurate product sizing guides (45%), improved consistency in sizing across products (34%), and detailed customer reviews on sizing with photos (28%). Overall, one in ten (10%) noted that they regularly return fashion items due to poor fit – and this was more of an issue for women (12.9%) than men (7.1%). More than a quarter (26%) would also be in favour of a universal sizing system being put in place for all brands.

Five practical tips to tackle bracketing include: 

• Improving sizing guides and product descriptions
• Using virtual try-ons and AI-powered recommendations
• Tightening your return policy
• Offering incentives for non-bracketed purchases
• Encouraging exchanges over returns

Thompson continued: “Without clear guidelines and processes, bracketing can lead to: an influx of higher return volumes; inventory chaos, as items are harder to track, leading to inaccuracies in stock levels; increased costs – as handling returns isn’t free, and the added costs can eat into holiday profits; logistics headaches, as warehouses can become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of returns. And let’s not forget the sustainability aspect of returns too”.

For more information, visit https://www.fulfilmentcrowd.com/blog/managing-bracketing-during-peak-season-a-survival-guide-for-online-retailers