Choose return reasons for a return in Shopify
A return reason turns a refund into information. Shopify shows category-specific reasons, apparel shows Too big and Too small, and you pick one when you create the return. This tutorial records reasons across 40 November returns and reads the pattern.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Returns in November | 40 |
| Too small | 12, 30% |
| Too big | 9, 22.5% |
| Other reasons | 19, 47.5% |
| Sizing reasons together | 21 of 40, 52.5% |
Download the log: return-reasons-log.csv (97 bytes).
A log of November return reasons in this tutorial. The counts add to 40 and the shares add to 100%. It is a record, not an import file.
1Create the return
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders, click the order, then click Return.
2Pick the reason for the item
In the Return reason section, select the reason that fits. Return reasons that you can choose from vary based on the product category: apparel products display reasons such as Too big or Too small, and products in other categories display their own reasons.
3Finish the return
Set the quantities, check the fees, pick the return shipping option, and click Create return. The reason is recorded with the return.
4Repeat it every time
A refund without a return does not record a return reason, and you cannot create a return for items you have already refunded. If the customer is sending items back, create the return before you refund.
5Read the reasons in analytics
You can view return reasons in your analytics to identify trends and understand why customers return products. A run of Too small on one product means the sizing is off, not the customers.
The arithmetic
Forty returns in November, counted by reason. The shares are each count divided by 40.
| Reason | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Too small | 12 | 30% |
| Too big | 9 | 22.5% |
| Other reasons | 19 | 47.5% |
| Total | 40 | 100% |
| Sizing reasons together | 21 | 52.5% |
12 plus 9 plus 19 is 40. 12 of 40 is 30%, 9 of 40 is 22.5%, and 21 of 40 is 52.5%. More than half of November's returns pointed to a sizing problem.
Held at the counter
Refund first and the reason is lost. A refund without a return does not record a return reason. Create the return before you refund, or the month's numbers will undercount the real reasons.
Reasons depend on the product category. The same complaint can appear under different reason labels on different products, because reasons vary by category. Compare within a category before you act.
Self-serve customers pick the reason themselves. When a customer requests a return from their account, they choose the reason. Read it before you act on it: a customer who picks the first option is not the same as a customer who means it.
Sources
- Creating returns and exchanges — Shopify's help pages: the create-return steps, the return shipping options, the fee-edit rules, the exchange-item rules, and the category-specific return reasons.