Better Product Visuals lead to and that means Fewer Returns Environment A Healthier

eCommerce product returns have become their own environmental hazard. It’s time for eRetailers to take action.

Shoppers have spoken:

76%

say they would return or exchange online purchases less often if eRetailers provided more accurate product images and details

82%

believe eRetailers have a responsibility to do all that they can to reduce returns due to the negative impact they have on the environment

So we’re challenging Amazon to lead the way

by adopting Best-in-Class Product Visualization Guidelines to make sure that shoppers always know exactly what they’re buying.

1

Adopt a standard of at least 8 different images per product page (up from 6 today)

2

Support and promote the use of interactive 3D product configuration and customization on their pages

3

Support augmented reality capabilities for furniture and home appliances

Our Goal

Reduce product waste and CO2 emissions by 2% in 2020

Scroll to learn more about how product returns impact the environment and how a better product visual experience will help.

Think about it.

Have you ever been shopping online and thought to yourself …

I’m not sure it’s my size.

I can’t really tell if it’s the right color

I wonder what it looks like from the back

That might not fit in my living room

But I can always just send it back.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Product returns are at an all-time high.


by the end of 2020.

In fact, 1.9 Million packages are expected to be returned on January 2nd—National Returns Day.

That’s about 22 packages per second.

Use your phone now to see exactly what that looks like in real life.

But even though free product returns make our lives easier, they’re awfully hard on the environment.

In 2016, transportation overtook power plants as the top producer of carbon dioxide emissions in the US for the first time since 1979.

Returns create

5 BILLION

pounds of waste in product and packaging annually.

Returns create 15M tons of CO2 emissions annually.

The good news is, we know the primary reasons why people make returns.

A Better Visual
Product Experience.

The truth is, most returns could be avoided if the seller were providing the volume and variety of visual detail necessary for shoppers to truly understand the product.

What does better visual product experience look like?

Enough product images that you really understand what you’re getting

Providing 8+ different product images per page

Letting you customize, configure and fully explore the product

Employing 3D configuration/customization to zoom in and see all product detail

Allowing you to put products in your space so you can make sure they’re “just right”

Enabling augmented reality

Better product visuals are proven to reduce returns by 40%

A little improvement will make a big impact. If we reach our goal of reducing product waste and CO2 emissions by 2% that means …

$7.8 billion

less in returns

-100M lbs

of product and packaging waste

-300K tons

in CO2 emissions

Why challenge Amazon?

We know that when Amazon leads, other retailers follow.

Amazon accounts for 49% of all eComm purchases worldwide and recently committed to meeting the sustainability standards set by the Paris climate agreement.

In the words of Founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, regarding the environmental commitment: “We want to use our scale and our scope to lead the way. We have to do it.”

We are calling on Amazon to use their size and scale to stop returns before they happen and encourage other retailers to do the same.

So, what can you do?

If you’re a shopper …

Join the movement to demand a better visual customer experience so you always know exactly what you’re buying.

If you’re a retailer …

Contact us to find out more or get a free product visuals audit and learn if you’re doing all you can to reduce returns.

Challenge Amazon to adopt better product visuals and help reduce returns.