image source, PrettyLittleThing
- Author, Lora Jones
- Role, Business reporter, BBC News
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Fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing ( PLT ) is facing customer backlash after becoming the latest retailer to end its free returns policy.
UK customers now have to pay £1.99 to return clothing, with the cost deducted from their return.
Shoppers posted screenshots on social media showing their PLT apps had been deleted from their phones, with many saying they would return fewer items if the brand size was more consistent.
High Street giants such as Zara, Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns.
Analysts said retailers are facing cost pressures, meaning they must introduce these charges or raise prices.
The new charge, which was introduced last week, will also apply to PLT ‘Royalty’ members who pay £9.99 a year for unlimited UK deliveries.
PLT was one of the online fashion brands that saw a huge increase during the pandemic.
She has paired with influencers and Love Island stars such as Molly-Mae Hague, who was previously the brand’s creative director.
However, some PLT customers have criticized the brand on social media, venting their frustration at the new return fee.
In news, a TikTok user posted screenshots of her deleting the PLT app from her phone’s home screen, saying she was “wasting [too] still a lot of money on this app.”
It has already garnered 2,700 likes, while many shoppers commented in the comments that they wouldn’t have returned so many items if the 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 be a [size] 12 in one item and 18 in another item. So I have to order different sizes to know.”
Meanwhile, on X, other shoppers wrote that they were being “funny” and that the change should only have been introduced for license scheme customers after their membership was renewed.
PLT is part of the Boohoo Group, which was founded in 2006 by Mahmud Kamani and head of retail Carol Kane.
The brand started as clothing only with accessories with a focus on trends and cheap pieces.
It was co-founded and led by Umar Kamani, one of the sons of Mahmud Kamani, who managed the brand’s collaboration with supermodel Naomi Campbell and its US expansion.
While the Boohoo group has come under fire for its working practices, it has been one of the big winners of the pandemic as online retailers have thrived.
But since then, it has faced several challenges with return rates normalizing, increasing competition from ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein, and customers’ tight budgets during the cost-of-living crisis.
PLT’s sales fell from £712m to £634m in the year to 28 February 2023, while its pre-tax profits more than halved, according to official records.
The company said profits were dented by technology upgrades it was carrying out at its huge warehouse in Sheffield.
And for fashion retailers, returns can be costly.
The environmental impact of using vans for online returns also needs to be considered.
Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth said returning customers was a significant headache.
While customers have become accustomed to free delivery or returns, retailers are facing cost pressures that mean they have to recoup those costs or raise prices, she said.
She pointed out that with sales slowing among younger consumers who are choosing more sustainable ways to shop on second-hand sites like Depop or Vinted, brands have had to make cost decisions accordingly.
“Businesses need to dissuade shoppers from returning, and when they do, they need the shopper to pay for it,” she said.
The rise of buy-now-pay-later systems such as Klarna or Clearpay has also led to some shoppers placing orders for multiple products, trying them on and sending some back before any money leaves their account.
As a result, online brands have also tightened their return policies, introducing stricter rules and checks for returned clothing and refusing refunds in some cases where there are signs that the clothing may have already been worn.