1.6 billion pounds worth of unreturned items lying in waste in Britain’s wardrobes

More than a £1.6 billion worth of unwanted purchases is piling up in homes across the UK as adults aren’t bothered to return them, believing the task or returning to be too inconvenient and lengthy.

According to new research from Doddle, the purple network of parcel stores, 43% of those living in the West Midlands have purchased items that they then don’t want, but haven’t taken the time to send them back to the retailer. Adults in the West Midlands each have on average three unwanted and unreturned items, leaving them £71 out of pocket. 

When asked why they are failing to return their items, more than a third (35%) said they couldn’t be bothered and 25% said they didn’t think the value of the items warranted the effort. Nearly a quarter (24%) say they are too busy, believing it takes nearly half an hour to return something each time, suggesting that we’re valuing our time, much more than hard-earned cash. Confusing returns processes were also identified as a major deterrent to sending an item back for 16% of respondents.

Amongst the most commonly unreturned items were women’s dresses, shoes and trousers, which occupied the top three spots* and some of the most surprising and typically expensive items that people don’t take the time to return include BlackBerrys, iPhones, iPads, TVs, laptops and even microwaves.

Tim Robinson, Doddle CEO, said: “Customers have become so frustrated with the processes for returning online purchases that they would rather forgo the cash from the refund, to skip the lengthy and inconvenient queues associated with the task.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  We launched Doddle so that customers can collect and return online purchases in less than two minutes.  It’s Doddle’s mission to redefine online shopping by making collecting and returning parcels easy - and save customers’ time and money.”

Doddle’s top tips to avoid cluttering up your home with unsuitable purchases:

•        Be sure to always check the various delivery/returns options when at the online checkout, and pick the option that best suits your circumstances
•        For clothing – try it on ASAP. If it doesn’t fit, make sure you have it on you to return as soon as you’re walking past a returns drop off point.  The longer you leave it, the less likely you are to ever return it
•        Check the retailer’s sizing guides before you buy, and if buying an item similar to something you already have, use a measuring tape to compare the sizing

Doddle allows shoppers to order items from the online retailer of their choice and have them delivered for collection to their nearest Doddle store, where they can also return unwanted items quickly. Doddle currently has a store in Birmingham Snowhill open from early until late, seven days a week, including bank holidays, allowing shoppers to collect their items at a time that suits them.

Shoppers wishing to enjoy the convenience of collecting and sending parcels from their local Doddle can sign up for a free Doddle membership in store, online atwww.doddle.it/register or via the Doddle app available on android and iOS.

*Top 10 items that people don’t bother to return: