The post-purchase moment of truth.
206 real orders analyzed across checkout, shipping, delivery, returns and communications. This is what delivery and returns look like today.
Four post-purchase stages
Introduction
Shopping like customers do: we placed 206 real orders with leading fashion retailers, tracking every update, opening every package, making every return and waiting for every refund. Along the way, we captured 180 data points per brand to see what’s standard, what’s changing and which brands are pushing the industry forward.
Fashion is one of e-commerce’s most competitive spaces. Retailers are challenged to find new ways to stand out, build loyalty and turn an online order into a memorable brand experience. That makes fashion the perfect benchmark for what great post-purchase looks like and where it’s heading next.
Fashion UNBOXED captures the ideas, innovations and emerging best practices shaping that journey today. We hope you enjoy this report and use it to benchmark your experience, spark new ideas and find practical ways to make every post-purchase moment add value for your customers and your brand.
About parcelLab
parcelLab is the global market leader in post-purchase software, helping retailers turn the silent stretch between checkout and delivery into a branded, revenue-generating experience — predictive delivery promises, branded tracking, proactive shipment communications, returns and post-purchase analytics.
What 206 orders revealed
The headline numbers. Tap any stat to jump to the stage it came from.
Returns: the leaked revenue loop
Treating returns like an admin chore means ignoring revenue protection. Slow refunds kill loyalty and drive support tickets.
offer free mail-in returns
Free returns remain the market baseline at 49.7%, but paid returns follow closely at 48.1%. For retailers charging for mail-in returns, the average flat fee is $7.91 deducted directly from the refund.
run return portals as static label generators
Despite 91.8% of merchants using return portals, 38.1% rely on label-only setups – missing out on tools that protect margins and retain customer revenue.
offer zero exchange options inside the portal
More than half of portals force customers into a full refund and re-order, losing the chance to retain revenue via size or color swaps.
process refunds within 7 days
Fewer than half of retailers refund within a week. 41.9% take 8–14 days, creating customer anxiety and driving unnecessary WISMO support tickets.
Customers judge your brand most when a product doesn't work out. Eliminating post-purchase friction turns unavoidable returns into your strongest driver for long-term customer lifetime value.
Cozy Earth
Reason-based upselling + dynamic exchange incentives
More brands doing returns well
Most retailers still look at returns only as money going out. In fashion, that’s too narrow. A return is often the moment when the customer is still engaged and still open to buying from you. The brands that use their returns moments well, with better exchanges, store credit and communication, can turn a refund into retained revenue. Improving returns also reduces customer support pressure and keeps the customer relationship alive.
A closer look on returns
Open either panel for the full data breakdown and the moves the top performers make.
Shipping Communication: owning the post-purchase loop
Between clicking "Buy" and package arrival, anxiety peaks. Top brands use branded updates to retain traffic and build trust.
keep tracking traffic in their ecosystem
Over 7 in 10 merchants maintain brand control over post-purchase traffic by using 3rd-party experience pages (40.3%) or custom-hosted portals (32.3%) instead of carrier redirects (24.2%).
send dedicated parcel delivered notifications
While order and shipping confirmations are universal (~97%), delivery-day engagement drops, with only 73.0% confirming final arrival.
block direct support via no-reply senders
Over 13% of retailers enforce strict "no-reply" email policies on shipping updates, erecting an immediate support barrier right when customers seek quick delivery help.
send official refund notifications
Three-quarters of retailers notify shoppers as soon as their refund is processed, bringing clear financial closure to the reverse logistics journey.
Post-purchase messaging is a retention channel, not an operational afterthought. Leading brands keep shoppers on their own web properties and offer active support when delivery anxiety peaks.
Dr. Squatch
Unmatched brand voice copywriting + highly engaging visual status tracking
More brands doing communication well
People are always impressed when a brand reaches out to them proactively for an issue and maybe they don’t even realize there’s an issue yet. It leaves an impression. I think it does a lot for retention and encourage repeat purchases. Leaving that lasting impression with them is going to increase the chances that they purchase again. It’s also much more pleasant for the customer and much more pleasant for my team.
A closer look on communication
Open either panel for the full data breakdown and the moves the top performers make.
Checkout: the decision moment
Before clicking buy, shoppers need three simple answers: when it arrives, what it costs, and who delivers. Most brands stay vague.
show zero delivery timeline on the product page
Over half of all product pages offer no delivery estimates at all. Concrete arrival dates early in the funnel are a rarity, appearing on just 16.8% of PDPs.
use minimum order value thresholds for free shipping.
Minimum order thresholds dominate to lift basket size (avg $93.83). Only 16.2% ship free unconditionally.
charge standard delivery fees between $5.00 and $9.99.
Among merchants charging for delivery, the average fee is $8.23. Full fee transparency reaches 100% only at final checkout.
let shoppers choose their preferred carrier.
Carrier choice is almost non-existent at checkout (0.5%). The "Big Three" USPS, FedEx and UPS handle over 80% of all last-mile deliveries.
Shoppers abandon over uncertainty, not price. Winning checkout is mostly telling people when the box arrives. Yet only 42.1% of retailers provide any delivery timeline on the product page.
DICK'S SPORTING GOODS
Clear delivery dates, multiple shipping speeds, and live local store availability
More brands doing checkout well
A great checkout experience builds trust and improves conversion by making costs, delivery options and timings clear from the start. It also sets confident expectations for the post-purchase journey, from delivery through to returns.
A closer look on checkout
Open either panel for the full data breakdown and the moves the top performers make.
Shipping & Unboxing: the physical truth
The physical arrival is your first real-world touchpoint. While delivery reliability is high, unboxing experiences often fail.
arrive on time or ahead of schedule
Carrier performance is overwhelmingly reliable. 41.5% of shipments arrive early, while late deliveries (6.4%) and lost parcels (1.1%) remain rare edge cases.
use plastic poly mailers for outer packaging.
Plastic poly mailers remain the dominant industry standard due to low weight and cost efficiency.
of parcels arrive within 2 to 5 days.
Standard delivery establishing a reliable 2-to-5-day window as the industry benchmark. The overall average transit duration stands at 3.9 days.
arrive in plain unbranded outer packaging.
The majority of merchants stick to neutral packaging to optimize fulfillment costs, maintain flexibility, and deter doorstep theft.
Brands invest heavily in digital storefronts, then hand off their physical grand finale to unbranded plastic mailers. Treating shipping packaging solely as a cost center ignores that physical unboxing is the only touchpoint in e-commerce with a 100% open rate.
Hermes
Delivers a luxury unboxing experience with branded interior design, wrapped boxes, and protective bottom cushioning
More brands doing unboxing well
Post-purchase is where the magic happens. Getting that initial purchase is really expensive. So where you want to build that trust and confidence with them is really in that post-purchase experience. That’s where you have the opportunity to surprise and delight.
A closer look on delivery & unboxing
Open either panel for the full data breakdown and the moves the top performers make.
See how your post-purchase experience compares
Walk through your own benchmark with our team — 30 minutes, no obligation.
- See exactly where your brand sits against the 206 retailers in this study.
- Get your own scorecard across checkout, communication, returns and unboxing.
- Find the three changes that would move your score fastest.
- Compare yourself against the category winners, not industry averages.
- Leave with a benchmark you can take straight to your team.
Compare your brand
We’ll be in touch within one working day.
All 206 brands we ordered from
Every retailer in the study. Select a name to visit its store.