Image source, Beautiful little thing
- Author, Lora Jones
- Role, Business reporter, BBC News
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Fast-fashion brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT) is facing a backlash from customers after becoming the latest retailer to scrap its free returns policy.
UK customers now have to pay £1.99 to return clothes, with the cost deducted from their refund.
Shoppers have posted screenshots on social media showing their PLT apps being deleted from their phones, with many saying they would return fewer items if the brand’s sizing were more consistent.
High Street giants such as Zara, Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns.
Analysts have said retailers are facing cost pressures, meaning they will have to implement these charges or raise prices.
The new charge, which was introduced last week, will also apply to participants in PLT’s “Royalty” programme, who pay £9.99 per year for unlimited deliveries in the UK.
PLT was one of the online-only fashion brands that saw a huge boost during the pandemic.
It was accompanied by influencers and Love Island stars such as Molly-Mae Haag, who was previously appointed as the brand’s creative director.
But some PLT customers have criticized the brand on social media, expressing frustration over the new return fees.
On the news, a TikTok user posted screenshots as she deleted the PLT app from her phone’s home screen, saying she was “wasting [too] a lot of money on this app.”
It has already racked up 2,700 likes, while many shoppers in the comments insisted they wouldn’t return as many items if clothing sizes were more consistent.
One wrote: “Why do I have to order the same outfit in three different sizes just to hope one fits?”
Another said: “I can literally do one [size] 12 in one item and 18 in another item. So I have to order different sizes to know.”
Meanwhile, other shoppers on
PLT is part of the Boohoo Group, which was founded in 2006 by Mahmud Kamani and retail manager Carol Kane.
The brand started as an accessories-only outfit, with an emphasis on trendy, inexpensive pieces.
It was co-founded and led by Umar Kamani, one of Mahmud Kamani’s sons, who drove the brand’s collaboration with supermodel Naomi Campbell and its expansion in the US.
Although Boohoo Group has been in the spotlight for its practices, it was one of the big winners of the pandemic as online retailers thrived.
However, since then the company has faced several challenges: returns normalized, increasing competition from ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein, and customers’ budgets coming under pressure during the cost of living crisis.
According to official documents, PLT’s turnover fell from £712m to £634m in the year to February 28, 2023, while pre-tax profits more than halved.
The company said profits had been dented due to technology upgrades it was making to its huge warehouse in Sheffield.
And for fashion retailers, returns can be expensive.
The environmental impact of using vans for online returns must also be considered.
Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth said customer returns were a significant headache.
While shoppers have grown accustomed to free delivery or returns, retailers are facing cost pressures, meaning they must recoup those costs or raise prices, she said.
She pointed out that with sales slowing among younger consumers opting for more sustainable ways of shopping on second-hand sites such as Depop or Vinted, brands had to make cost decisions accordingly.
“Businesses need to deter shoppers from returning and if they do, they need the customer to pay for it,” she said.
The rise of ‘buy now, pay later’ programs such as Klarna or Clearpay has also led to some customers placing orders for multiple products, trying them out and then returning some of them before the money has left their account.
As a result, online brands have also tightened their return policies, introducing stricter regulations and inspections for clothing being returned and denying refunds in some cases if there are signs that the clothing has already been worn.