Innovative Strategien zur Verringerung des CO2-Fußabdruck in der Textilretourenlogistik

Abstract

The increasing number of returns in the textile sector has significant negative impacts on the industry. A variety of reasons, including improper fit, different expectations regarding quality and appearance as well as selection orders, contribute to 40 to 50 percent of clothing ordered online being returned, with almost two thirds of parcels shipped being affected. Returns not only lead to financial losses for retailers, but also have a negative impact on the environment due to the increased consumption of packaging materials and additional transportation costs. In order to achieve a reduction in the ecological footprint, innovative strategies and increased consumer awareness of the negative environmental impact caused by returns are required. Accordingly, the willingness and acceptance of consumers are of great importance in order to be able to implement sustainable practices in the returns process. One focus of this thesis is on the C2C returns concept, which aims to make the conventional process of returns logistics in online retail more innovative by shipping returned items directly from customers to new customers. These topics form the framework of this thesis. This thesis begins with the introduction (Chapter 1) and follows with important basics such as the effects of returns, the legal framework and returns processing in Chapter 2. The theoretical basics of returns management and returns avoidance are described in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 deals with the concept of C2C returns, while Chapter 5 highlights best practice examples from the field. The research design of the empirical study and the description of the method are presented in chapter 6. The subsequent description and interpretation of the results follow in chapter 7. Finally, the results from the literature and the empirical study are brought together in chapter 8. As a result of this work, innovative approaches and concepts were identified that reduce the CO2 emissions of returns in the online textile trade. In addition, factors influencing end customer acceptance with regard to C2C returns logistics and those customer segments that can be particularly addressed by C2C returns logistics were identified. From the consumers' point of view, the security of the data, the presence of an original label and the possibility of a discount are the decisive factors for using the concept of C2C returns logistics. A quarter of consumers would be willing to buy or ship C2C goods. In terms of willingness to buy, women aged 25 to 34 in particular represent the most promising target group for the C2C concept (45.56% vs. an overall average of 25.27%). This target group is also the most promising in terms of willingness to send, with an approval rate of 41.11% compared to the overall average of 26.93% (answer option: "Definitely").

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Sarah Pfoser (Supervisor)