Returns are one of the biggest costs in online retail. The National Retail Federation expects US shoppers to return about $850 billion of merchandise in 2025, and estimates that 19.3% of online sales will be returned. Every return means shipping both ways, handling, and often an item you can't sell at full price again.
Some returns you can't prevent. But a large share start with the same problem: the product wasn't what the shopper expected. Better product images are one of the most direct fixes.
Why shoppers return products
In a 2023 PowerReviews survey of more than 9,000 US shoppers, the most common reasons for returning online purchases were:
| Reason | Shoppers citing it |
|---|---|
| Damaged or defective | 81% |
| Poor fit | 75% |
| Didn't match the description | 56% |
| Didn't like the item | 33% |
| Ordered multiple sizes or items | 14% |
Shoppers could choose more than one reason. Damage is a packaging and quality problem. But "poor fit", "didn't match the description" and "didn't like it" often come down to the same thing: the shopper pictured something different from what arrived. That's where images help.
Six ways images reduce expectation returns
1. Show every side, not just the best one
If shoppers only see the front, they fill in the rest with their imagination, and the back of the real product can surprise them. Show the back and sides, or add a 360° view that shows every angle in one image. A peer-reviewed study found that 360° spins made products feel more tangible than static photos and easier to judge, which is exactly what you want before someone commits to buying.
2. Show the size clearly
Size surprises are a classic return reason. Baymard Institute found that 42% of users try to work out a product's size from its images, yet 28% of large sites had no images showing scale. Include at least one photo of the product worn, held, or beside a familiar object, and put the measurements in the description.
3. Get the colour right
Colour that looks different in person is a common complaint. Shoot in neutral daylight, check white balance, and edit for accuracy rather than drama. If a product comes in several colours, photograph each one rather than recolouring a single photo.
4. Show materials and details up close
Close-ups of fabric, finish, stitching and hardware answer "what does it feel like?", the question shoppers can't ask online. Make sure shoppers can zoom in and the image stays sharp.
5. Show it in use
Photos of the product being worn, carried or used show how it fits, drapes or works, which a flat product shot can't.
6. Show what's in the box
Baymard recommends a dedicated image of included accessories, so there's no confusion about what arrives.
Honesty beats polish
It's tempting to make products look their best. But images that make a product look better than it is just move the problem from the product page to the returns desk. The goal of product images isn't the prettiest picture. It's the shopper who receives exactly what they expected.
The same goes for any tool that generates or enhances images. Twurn, for example, uses AI to work out the angles between your real front and back photos. Check each spin's preview before you publish it, and keep real photos of any detail shoppers need to see exactly.
Measure it. Most platforms let you record a return reason. Track the share of "not as described" and "not as expected" returns for products before and after you improve their images. That's your real return on the effort.
Where to start
- Pull your returns report and find the products with the highest return rates.
- Read the reasons and reviews for those products. Look for size, colour or "looks different" comments.
- Fix the images for those products first: add the missing angles, a scale photo, accurate colour, and a 360° view.
- Compare return rates over the following weeks.
Questions
What is a normal return rate for online stores?
The NRF estimates that 19.3% of online sales will be returned in 2025. Rates vary a lot by category, and categories where fit matters, like clothing and shoes, tend to run higher.
Do 360° product views reduce returns?
They help with returns caused by products not matching expectations, because shoppers can see every side before they buy. They don't help with damage or quality problems.
Sources
- National Retail Federation, 2025 Retail Returns Landscape ($849.9 billion in returns; 19.3% of online sales).
- PowerReviews, Why do shoppers return purchases (2023 report, 9,286 US adults).
- Baymard Institute, In-scale product images (42% judge size from images; 28% of sites lack in-scale images).
- Baymard Institute, Product images and descriptive text (included-accessories images).
- Verhagen, Vonkeman & van Dolen (2016), Making online products more tangible.