Bracketing in online shopping is one of the biggest challenges facing online fashion retailers today. It refers to the practice of customers ordering multiple sizes or colors of the same item, trying them on at home, keeping what fits, and returning the rest.
While bracketing in online shopping may seem like a harmless or even smart shopping habit from the customer’s perspective, its impact on retailers is significant and costly.
According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 1 in 2 shoppers engaged in bracketing even before the pandemic — and the trend has only accelerated. In fact, 25% of all online transactions include at least one bracketed item, and 73% of retailers have reported a sharp increase in this behavior over the last year.
The Real Cost of Bracketing for Retailers
Bracketing in online shopping doesn’t just lead to higher return rates. It affects nearly every part of your business:
- Higher return processing and restocking costs
- Wasted inventory – many retailers discard up to 25% of returned items
- Lost sales opportunities when returned items are removed from stock temporarily
- Increased environmental harm from repeated shipping and garment waste
And the problem is particularly common among younger shoppers:
- 51% of Gen Z admit to bracketing
- 36% of Gen X and 24% of Baby Boomers report similar habits
Why Do Customers Bracket?
In short: uncertainty.
Most customers aren’t trying to cause problems. They just don’t know what size will fit.
They want the peace of mind that comes with trying options at home. The lack of accurate sizing information, different fits between brands (or even products), and low confidence in sizing charts all drive this behavior.
And here’s the dilemma: 76% of shoppers say free returns are important when shopping online. So limiting free returns risks damaging the customer experience.
How Retailers Are Responding
- 39% of merchants have introduced return fees to curb bracketing.
- 36% use fees to offset the cost of growing returns.
But fees alone aren’t the solution. If customers don’t feel confident in sizing, they’ll keep bracketing – or worse, abandon the purchase.
The Better Solution: Help Customers Choose the Right Size from the Start
What if instead of making your customers become size experts, you empowered them with accurate, personalized size recommendations?
That’s where SizeSense.ai comes in.
How SizeSense.ai Helps You Tackle Bracketing
- 1:1 alignment of customer body measurements with the measurements of the specific clothing being considered by your customer.
- Considers both customer body measurements and shape. This allows for a perfect fit so every customer looks great no matter their figure.
- Provides tailored recommendations considering fabric elasticity, clothing design and customer’s preferences.
Want to Reduce Returns While Improving Customer Satisfaction?
Here’s a bold idea: Offer free returns only to customers who use the sizing tool.
This way, you:
- ✅ Encourage smarter, more intentional purchases
- ✅ Lower return volumes and restocking costs
- ✅ Improve customer satisfaction through better fit
Final Thoughts
Bracketing in online shopping is here to stay, but it doesn’t have to keep hurting your margins. By providing the tools your customers need to make confident, informed choices, you turn bracketing from a threat into an opportunity for loyalty and smarter shopping.
Let SizeSense.ai help you build a better fit experience – and a more sustainable future for fashion.
Source: National Retail Federation
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