Royal Mail has reported a 25% year-on-year increase in online returns.

Online shoppers in St Albans have been making the most returns, followed by consumers in Watford, Kingston-upon-Thames, Ilford, and South West London. Edinburgh tops the list in Scotland and Cardiff the Wales list, the figures show.
The findings are based on analysis of Tracked Returns 48 items accepted into the Royal Mail network in an average week in the time period between 29 June 2020 to 2 August 2020.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: “Having analysed our returns data across our national network of delivery offices, St Albans has emerged as the UK’s returns hotspot. With ecommerce playing an important role in keeping the UK connected during such unprecedented times, online returns form an even more important part of the online shopping experience for both consumers and retailers.”
The research also reveals 53% of UK adults felt that receiving parcels had become more important and 36% believe receiving a parcel was the highlight of their day.