We talk about sustainability like it's a badge you earn after you've scaled.
How Poor Product Data Drives 43% of eCommerce Returns (And Kills Your Margin)
2026
This article was written in collaboration with the team at Plytix, a leading PIM platform helping eCommerce brands eliminate data-driven returns.
We talk about sustainability like it's a badge you earn after you've scaled.
Something you add to the website once the operations are humming and the P&L looks healthy. A nice-to-have. A brand story.
"Too many retailers still treat product data like it's a 'task to be done”
— Morten Poulsen, Plytix Founder & CEO
But the biggest waste in ecommerce happens before the customer even sees the product. It's baked into messy data from the start.
And it's costing you twice: once in carbon, once in margin.
The Real Cost of Returns Isn't Just Logistics
UK retailers face estimated costs of £27 billion from returns annually. Online return rates average around 20%. In fashion, that climbs to 25-30%.
Processing a single return costs between £10 and £20 per item when you factor in logistics, repackaging, and lost sales. At scale, those costs compound rapidly.
But here's what most retailers don't calculate: 43% of consumers returned a product in the past year because the pre-purchase product information turned out to be incorrect.
Not because they changed their mind. Because the data was wrong.
That's not a customer problem. That's a data problem.
The Environmental Waste You Can't See
Ecommerce returns generate up to 24 million metric tonnes of CO₂ annually. You'd need 1 billion mature trees working non-stop to combat that volume of emissions.
And here's the part that should make every finance director wince: 22-44% of returned products never reach another consumer.
The carbon cost of producing and distributing those unused returns can be 2-16 times higher than all post-return transport, packaging, and processing emissions combined.
That's wasted production, wasted margin, and wasted carbon. All driven by information failures at the point of purchase.
The environmental cost exists before the customer even opens the parcel.
Poor Product Information Is the Invisible Leak in Your Funnel
80% of avoidable returns are linked to poor product information.
When product data is incomplete, inconsistent, or just plain wrong, customers hedge. They order multiple sizes. They buy three variations of the same thing. They're guaranteeing a return before checkout even completes.
In apparel, fit issues account for up to 70% of returns. Half your product data is guesswork, so customers treat purchasing like a fitting room with free delivery.
And you're paying for it. Twice.
First in the cost of shipping products that were never going to be kept. Then in the reverse logistics, repackaging, and restocking of items that might never sell again.
Meanwhile, poor product data costs retailers 15-25% of revenue. That's not a marginal improvement opportunity. That's the difference between profitable scale and treading water.
PIM Isn't Just Operational Efficiency - It's Strategic Leverage
Product Information Management systems don't just tidy up your catalogue. They eliminate the root cause of returns before they happen.
Companies using PIM report up to a 50% increase in online conversions and 25% fewer product returns.
Accurate product data can lower return rates by 20-25%. That's not theory. That's operational leverage that most retailers leave on the table because they're too busy firefighting downstream problems.
Platforms like Plytix are built specifically to solve this - giving ecommerce teams a single source of truth for product data across every channel.
“Too many retailers still treat product data like it's a 'task to be done'. When in reality, it should be treated as growth opportunity. Optimised product data shapes how products show up in search, how they perform across channels, how AI understands them, and whether customers actually keep what they buy. And because not many businesses get it yet, there's this window of opportunity for those who do.”
— Morten Poulsen, Plytix Founder & CEO
And here's the commercial truth: 62% of consumers are far more likely to keep what they buy when product information is clear, accurate, and detailed.
That includes consistent sizing and fit guidance, accurate attributes and specifications, high-quality imagery, and transparent information around materials, availability, and sustainability.
Better data doesn't just reduce costs. It protects margin and builds trust.
Sustainability as a Margin Protector, Not Just a Badge
Most retailers treat sustainability as a marketing exercise. Something you talk about in brand campaigns.
But when you fix the data upstream, you reduce waste at every stage. Fewer returns mean fewer emissions. Fewer discarded products. Fewer logistical bottlenecks.
And fewer hits to your P&L.
This isn't about earning a badge. It's about protecting margin through operational rigour.
When you invest in PIM, you're not just improving product pages. You're reducing the carbon footprint of every transaction. You're cutting the cost of returns that never should have happened. You're building a business model that scales sustainably because the data is right from the start.
The retailers who understand this aren't waiting for sustainability to become a compliance issue. They're treating it as a commercial advantage.
The Strategic Choice You're Not Making
You can keep treating returns as an unavoidable cost of doing business. You can keep charging customers to send things back and hope that covers the damage.
Or you can fix the problem at the source.
Better product information reduces returns. Lower returns reduce carbon emissions. Reduced emissions and returns protect your margin.
This isn't a sustainability initiative. It's a profitability initiative that happens to be sustainable.
The waste in eCommerce happens before the customer even clicks. And the retailers who fix that upstream will be the ones still standing when the market tightens and margins get squeezed.
Fix the data. Protect the margin. Reduce the waste.
That's not a badge. That's strategy.
Poor product data doesn’t just create operational headaches — it directly impacts revenue, customer experience, and your ability to scale. The good news is that fixing it starts with the right strategy and the right tools. Whether you’re looking to optimise your eCommerce ecosystem with Digital Blueprint or streamline product information management with Plytix, there’s a clear next step forward.
Shopify merchants can get started immediately with the Plytix Multistore AI Bulk Edit app on the Shopify App Store, while businesses on other platforms can launch a free pilot with Plytix and work directly with their team to build a more scalable product data foundation.
Better product data creates better eCommerce outcomes - and the brands that solve it early gain a serious competitive advantage.
We talk about sustainability like it's a badge you earn after you've scaled.
How Poor Product Data Drives 43% of eCommerce Returns (And Kills Your Margin)
2026
This article was written in collaboration with the team at Plytix, a leading PIM platform helping eCommerce brands eliminate data-driven returns.
We talk about sustainability like it's a badge you earn after you've scaled.
Something you add to the website once the operations are humming and the P&L looks healthy. A nice-to-have. A brand story.
"Too many retailers still treat product data like it's a 'task to be done”
— Morten Poulsen, Plytix Founder & CEO
But the biggest waste in ecommerce happens before the customer even sees the product. It's baked into messy data from the start.
And it's costing you twice: once in carbon, once in margin.
The Real Cost of Returns Isn't Just Logistics
UK retailers face estimated costs of £27 billion from returns annually. Online return rates average around 20%. In fashion, that climbs to 25-30%.
Processing a single return costs between £10 and £20 per item when you factor in logistics, repackaging, and lost sales. At scale, those costs compound rapidly.
But here's what most retailers don't calculate: 43% of consumers returned a product in the past year because the pre-purchase product information turned out to be incorrect.
Not because they changed their mind. Because the data was wrong.
That's not a customer problem. That's a data problem.
The Environmental Waste You Can't See
Ecommerce returns generate up to 24 million metric tonnes of CO₂ annually. You'd need 1 billion mature trees working non-stop to combat that volume of emissions.
And here's the part that should make every finance director wince: 22-44% of returned products never reach another consumer.
The carbon cost of producing and distributing those unused returns can be 2-16 times higher than all post-return transport, packaging, and processing emissions combined.
That's wasted production, wasted margin, and wasted carbon. All driven by information failures at the point of purchase.
The environmental cost exists before the customer even opens the parcel.
Poor Product Information Is the Invisible Leak in Your Funnel
80% of avoidable returns are linked to poor product information.
When product data is incomplete, inconsistent, or just plain wrong, customers hedge. They order multiple sizes. They buy three variations of the same thing. They're guaranteeing a return before checkout even completes.
In apparel, fit issues account for up to 70% of returns. Half your product data is guesswork, so customers treat purchasing like a fitting room with free delivery.
And you're paying for it. Twice.
First in the cost of shipping products that were never going to be kept. Then in the reverse logistics, repackaging, and restocking of items that might never sell again.
Meanwhile, poor product data costs retailers 15-25% of revenue. That's not a marginal improvement opportunity. That's the difference between profitable scale and treading water.
PIM Isn't Just Operational Efficiency - It's Strategic Leverage
Product Information Management systems don't just tidy up your catalogue. They eliminate the root cause of returns before they happen.
Companies using PIM report up to a 50% increase in online conversions and 25% fewer product returns.
Accurate product data can lower return rates by 20-25%. That's not theory. That's operational leverage that most retailers leave on the table because they're too busy firefighting downstream problems.
Platforms like Plytix are built specifically to solve this - giving ecommerce teams a single source of truth for product data across every channel.
“Too many retailers still treat product data like it's a 'task to be done'. When in reality, it should be treated as growth opportunity. Optimised product data shapes how products show up in search, how they perform across channels, how AI understands them, and whether customers actually keep what they buy. And because not many businesses get it yet, there's this window of opportunity for those who do.”
— Morten Poulsen, Plytix Founder & CEO
And here's the commercial truth: 62% of consumers are far more likely to keep what they buy when product information is clear, accurate, and detailed.
That includes consistent sizing and fit guidance, accurate attributes and specifications, high-quality imagery, and transparent information around materials, availability, and sustainability.
Better data doesn't just reduce costs. It protects margin and builds trust.
Sustainability as a Margin Protector, Not Just a Badge
Most retailers treat sustainability as a marketing exercise. Something you talk about in brand campaigns.
But when you fix the data upstream, you reduce waste at every stage. Fewer returns mean fewer emissions. Fewer discarded products. Fewer logistical bottlenecks.
And fewer hits to your P&L.
This isn't about earning a badge. It's about protecting margin through operational rigour.
When you invest in PIM, you're not just improving product pages. You're reducing the carbon footprint of every transaction. You're cutting the cost of returns that never should have happened. You're building a business model that scales sustainably because the data is right from the start.
The retailers who understand this aren't waiting for sustainability to become a compliance issue. They're treating it as a commercial advantage.
The Strategic Choice You're Not Making
You can keep treating returns as an unavoidable cost of doing business. You can keep charging customers to send things back and hope that covers the damage.
Or you can fix the problem at the source.
Better product information reduces returns. Lower returns reduce carbon emissions. Reduced emissions and returns protect your margin.
This isn't a sustainability initiative. It's a profitability initiative that happens to be sustainable.
The waste in eCommerce happens before the customer even clicks. And the retailers who fix that upstream will be the ones still standing when the market tightens and margins get squeezed.
Fix the data. Protect the margin. Reduce the waste.
That's not a badge. That's strategy.
Poor product data doesn’t just create operational headaches — it directly impacts revenue, customer experience, and your ability to scale. The good news is that fixing it starts with the right strategy and the right tools. Whether you’re looking to optimise your eCommerce ecosystem with Digital Blueprint or streamline product information management with Plytix, there’s a clear next step forward.
Shopify merchants can get started immediately with the Plytix Multistore AI Bulk Edit app on the Shopify App Store, while businesses on other platforms can launch a free pilot with Plytix and work directly with their team to build a more scalable product data foundation.
Better product data creates better eCommerce outcomes - and the brands that solve it early gain a serious competitive advantage.
We talk about sustainability like it's a badge you earn after you've scaled.
How Poor Product Data Drives 43% of eCommerce Returns (And Kills Your Margin)
2026
This article was written in collaboration with the team at Plytix, a leading PIM platform helping eCommerce brands eliminate data-driven returns.
We talk about sustainability like it's a badge you earn after you've scaled.
Something you add to the website once the operations are humming and the P&L looks healthy. A nice-to-have. A brand story.
"Too many retailers still treat product data like it's a 'task to be done”
— Morten Poulsen, Plytix Founder & CEO
But the biggest waste in ecommerce happens before the customer even sees the product. It's baked into messy data from the start.
And it's costing you twice: once in carbon, once in margin.
The Real Cost of Returns Isn't Just Logistics
UK retailers face estimated costs of £27 billion from returns annually. Online return rates average around 20%. In fashion, that climbs to 25-30%.
Processing a single return costs between £10 and £20 per item when you factor in logistics, repackaging, and lost sales. At scale, those costs compound rapidly.
But here's what most retailers don't calculate: 43% of consumers returned a product in the past year because the pre-purchase product information turned out to be incorrect.
Not because they changed their mind. Because the data was wrong.
That's not a customer problem. That's a data problem.
The Environmental Waste You Can't See
Ecommerce returns generate up to 24 million metric tonnes of CO₂ annually. You'd need 1 billion mature trees working non-stop to combat that volume of emissions.
And here's the part that should make every finance director wince: 22-44% of returned products never reach another consumer.
The carbon cost of producing and distributing those unused returns can be 2-16 times higher than all post-return transport, packaging, and processing emissions combined.
That's wasted production, wasted margin, and wasted carbon. All driven by information failures at the point of purchase.
The environmental cost exists before the customer even opens the parcel.
Poor Product Information Is the Invisible Leak in Your Funnel
80% of avoidable returns are linked to poor product information.
When product data is incomplete, inconsistent, or just plain wrong, customers hedge. They order multiple sizes. They buy three variations of the same thing. They're guaranteeing a return before checkout even completes.
In apparel, fit issues account for up to 70% of returns. Half your product data is guesswork, so customers treat purchasing like a fitting room with free delivery.
And you're paying for it. Twice.
First in the cost of shipping products that were never going to be kept. Then in the reverse logistics, repackaging, and restocking of items that might never sell again.
Meanwhile, poor product data costs retailers 15-25% of revenue. That's not a marginal improvement opportunity. That's the difference between profitable scale and treading water.
PIM Isn't Just Operational Efficiency - It's Strategic Leverage
Product Information Management systems don't just tidy up your catalogue. They eliminate the root cause of returns before they happen.
Companies using PIM report up to a 50% increase in online conversions and 25% fewer product returns.
Accurate product data can lower return rates by 20-25%. That's not theory. That's operational leverage that most retailers leave on the table because they're too busy firefighting downstream problems.
Platforms like Plytix are built specifically to solve this - giving ecommerce teams a single source of truth for product data across every channel.
“Too many retailers still treat product data like it's a 'task to be done'. When in reality, it should be treated as growth opportunity. Optimised product data shapes how products show up in search, how they perform across channels, how AI understands them, and whether customers actually keep what they buy. And because not many businesses get it yet, there's this window of opportunity for those who do.”
— Morten Poulsen, Plytix Founder & CEO
And here's the commercial truth: 62% of consumers are far more likely to keep what they buy when product information is clear, accurate, and detailed.
That includes consistent sizing and fit guidance, accurate attributes and specifications, high-quality imagery, and transparent information around materials, availability, and sustainability.
Better data doesn't just reduce costs. It protects margin and builds trust.
Sustainability as a Margin Protector, Not Just a Badge
Most retailers treat sustainability as a marketing exercise. Something you talk about in brand campaigns.
But when you fix the data upstream, you reduce waste at every stage. Fewer returns mean fewer emissions. Fewer discarded products. Fewer logistical bottlenecks.
And fewer hits to your P&L.
This isn't about earning a badge. It's about protecting margin through operational rigour.
When you invest in PIM, you're not just improving product pages. You're reducing the carbon footprint of every transaction. You're cutting the cost of returns that never should have happened. You're building a business model that scales sustainably because the data is right from the start.
The retailers who understand this aren't waiting for sustainability to become a compliance issue. They're treating it as a commercial advantage.
The Strategic Choice You're Not Making
You can keep treating returns as an unavoidable cost of doing business. You can keep charging customers to send things back and hope that covers the damage.
Or you can fix the problem at the source.
Better product information reduces returns. Lower returns reduce carbon emissions. Reduced emissions and returns protect your margin.
This isn't a sustainability initiative. It's a profitability initiative that happens to be sustainable.
The waste in eCommerce happens before the customer even clicks. And the retailers who fix that upstream will be the ones still standing when the market tightens and margins get squeezed.
Fix the data. Protect the margin. Reduce the waste.
That's not a badge. That's strategy.
Poor product data doesn’t just create operational headaches — it directly impacts revenue, customer experience, and your ability to scale. The good news is that fixing it starts with the right strategy and the right tools. Whether you’re looking to optimise your eCommerce ecosystem with Digital Blueprint or streamline product information management with Plytix, there’s a clear next step forward.
Shopify merchants can get started immediately with the Plytix Multistore AI Bulk Edit app on the Shopify App Store, while businesses on other platforms can launch a free pilot with Plytix and work directly with their team to build a more scalable product data foundation.
Better product data creates better eCommerce outcomes - and the brands that solve it early gain a serious competitive advantage.