• by Ray Schultz , January 12, 2022

Gen Zers and millennials are the most likely consumers to refrain from returning unwanted products across borders. But it’s not because they want the items — they back off when return policies are unclear, when there are no local collection points, and when the item cost is insignificant, according to Global Voices: Cross-Border Shopper Insights, a study released Wednesday by ESW, formerly eShopWorld.

Email teams might see a dip in response when sending new offers to these consumers and never understand why. This is significant because people in these cohorts now make up 60% of cross-border shoppers, although ESW does not offer a generational comparison. 

“Our research has shown that more than 30% of Gen Z and 37% of Millennial shoppers have made 11+ cross border purchases in the past year alone,” states Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, president and CEO, Americas for ESW. “Taking away the ‘work’ associated with returns will help attract more Gen Z and Millennial shoppers.”

Bousquet-Chavanne urges cross-border ecommerce retailers to offer free returns, scheduled pick-ups, and easy-to-access collection points.

“Brands that transparently communicate their sustainable shipping options for both deliveries and returns will likely create a more loyal customer base across all generations,” Bousquet-Chavanne says. 

Among the nations, consumers are most unlikely to return products in China (67%), India (64%) and UAE (64%).

ESW surveyed 14,697 consumers in 14 countries.