Zalando restricts the returns: If you return too much, fly out!

Zalando restricts the returns: If you return too much, fly out!

The online fashion trade Zalando recently announced new measures to combat excessive returns that have been in force since September 27, 2025. The company reacts to the increasing return rates that not only affect logistics and product availability, but also have negative effects on the environment, as in an article of G-Eco is emphasized. The updated general terms and conditions stipulate that customers who, despite previous warnings, send disproportionately number of articles back to an account block of up to one year.

Customers who come into the focus of the new warning system will receive an email from Zalando. This message serves to reflect on the return behavior and give tips for reducing returns. If customers ignore this notification, account restrictions can occur, which in the worst case can take up to twelve months. During the break, it is not possible to make new purchases via the affected account. However, access to the order history and the return of articles already ordered remains possible, such as the 5min reported.

Measures for return control

The new rules only affect around 0.02 % of the over 50 million Zalando customers. Zalando emphasizes that the introduction of these measures primarily aims to promote more conscious shopping and avoid incorrect purchases. On the other hand, consumer advocates in Austria say that this practice may violate the right of withdrawal and the distance law law. There are already reports from customers who were affected without the prior warning of account locks.

These developments are part of a more comprehensive strategy for optimizing return management in the industry. High return rates not only cause high costs, but also considerable environmental pollution. In 2021, over 530 million packages were returned in Germany, which illustrates how urgent measures are required. Zalando aims to improve the return behavior in e-commerce through more transparent return guidelines and innovative technologies such as KI for pattern recognition, such as the Ecommerce Watchblog reported.

Focus on sustainability and efficiency

Zalando not only shows a strong interest in reducing returns, but also in a more sustainable business model. The use of reusable and recycling packaging and the optimization of the transport routes are part of the strategy to reduce environmental pollution. The focus on resource -efficient return management is considered necessary in order to achieve both ecological and economic advantages.

Overall, Zalando shows with these measures that the company wants to actively work on changing consumption behavior. In the long term, the new return policy could not only reduce the costs, but also help consumers to deal with their purchases more responsibly and choose what they actually need.