Abstract

Consumers feel the need for a multi-sensory contact with clothing items before purchase. Some attributes are poorly communicated through digital media, such as texture. Also, companies develop their own measurement references resulting in inconsistent sizes from brand to brand. Consequently, when buying clothes online, consumers have trouble determining their sizes, leading to rising return rates. Facilitated return and exchange policies combined with the high perceived risk encourage a type of behavior known as serial returners. This practice leads to an increase in waste due to product disposal and overloads the reverse logistics chain. Product presentations, along with tools to support users’ decision-making are key to address these intricacies. How companies present products has a significant role in the way consumers understand information. If the content is communicated clearly, consumers can make more efficient, effective and satisfying purchases, which consequently reduce return rates. An analysis of how websites present their size/measurement tables was carried out and based on the results, a new model is suggested. This study intends to improve communication between retailers and consumers to enable more conscious decisions and reduce the return rate. Additionally, it demonstrates how design approaches can contribute to reveal existing issues and improve user-experience on e-commerce websites.