Customer-to-Customer Retourenlogistik im Mode-Onlinehandel - Erhebung der händlerseitigen Anforderungen und Erwartungen

Abstract

The rising volume of product returns presents significant economic and environmental challenges for online fashion retailers. Returns not only incur high costs, but also high transport emissions and tie up considerable logistical resources. At the same time, generous return policies and free shipping encourage increasingly opportunistic consumer behavior, characterized by bracketing or wardrobing, for example. Despite growing criticism of the inefficiency of conventional return processes, these continue to dominate practice. However, new legal frameworks, increasing cost pressure, and the expectation of sustainable solutions make it necessary to fundamentally question existing return models. Against this backdrop, this master's thesis examines customer-to-customer (C2C) return logistics as an innovative alternative. The basic principle of C2C returns is to no longer return unworn fashion items to the retailer's warehouse, but to send them directly to a second customer who is interested in purchasing them. This can significantly reduce packaging costs, inspection processes, and transport emissions. The aim of the thesis was to identify the requirements, expectations, and potential obstacles on the part of online fashion retailers in order to develop viable process models based on this information. To answer these questions, 11 expert interviews were conducted with executives from wellknown online fashion retailers. The evaluation was carried out using qualitative content analysis. The results show a fundamentally high level of interest in C2C returns logistics, but this is linked to clear conditions. From the online retailer's point of view, the process must be low-threshold, intuitive, and at the same time secure for customers. Control over quality, refunds, and fraud prevention is cited as a key requirement. In response to these requirements, two best practice process models were developed: one with direct shipment from the first customer to the second customer without external intermediate inspection, and a second with additional quality assurance by the parcel service provider in the logistics center. Depending on the objective, both variants offer advantages in terms of costs, process reliability, and sustainability. Retailers should choose between them based on their business model, customer group, and strategic positioning. The study concludes that, when implemented correctly, C2C returns logistics represent a promising opportunity to reduce returns costs, lessen environmental impact, and promote the acceptance of sustainable consumption practices.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Sarah Pfoser (Supervisor)