Up to 40 percent of clothing bought online is returned

Up to 40 per cent of clothing purchased online is returned to the retailer, according to a new research.

The study suggests that online shopping may be on the rise, but there are still some ways in which it cannot compete with the real thing.

The statistic was published as online fitting room service Fits.me predicted a soar in Internet clothing sales over the next seven years.

"By 2018, some 35 per cent of clothing sales will be on the Internet," the Daily Mail quoted company founder Heikki Haldre as saying.

"This will mean that up to one in three clothes shops might be closing, or in need of changing their business model," Haldre said. "The same has already happened to the book retailers and travel agents."

He added that one in four loose-fitting garments bought online, such as T-shirts and lougewear, are returned, while almost half figure-hugging garments are sent back to the retailer.
 
"Apparel remains one of the most difficult categories for online sales - and this is because of the lack of a fitting room," he explained.