How to reduce international returns: a prevent-first Playbook for global ecommerce

Cross-border returns are expensive for brands and frustrating for shoppers. The bigger issue: many international returns are avoidable.

When customers buy from another country, they’re making a decision with more uncertainty - different sizing systems, unfamiliar product standards, language gaps, and cultural differences in what “normal” looks like. That uncertainty turns into mis-buys, and mis-buys turn into returns.

The most effective way to reduce international returns isn’t only improving reverse logistics. It’s preventing the return in the first place by helping shoppers choose correctly before they click “Buy.”

Here’s a guide to the most common causes of cross-border returns and the specific pre-purchase tactics that fix them - without adding unnecessary friction to the shopping experience.

The main causes of international returns (and why they’re so common)

International customers return for the same core reasons as domestic customers - but the risk is amplified:

1. Sizing and fit issues (different regional standards, inconsistent brand sizing, size bracketing)
2. Misunderstanding product specs (measurements, materials, compatibility, care)
3. Misaligned expectations (color, style, modesty norms, local preferences)
4. Information friction (language barriers, unclear policies, missing context)

Even “simple” mistakes - like listing measurements only in centimeters, or describing fabric feel in vague terms - can cause a buyer to choose the wrong item with high confidence.

Cause #1: Sizing and fit confusion

Sizing isn’t universal. A “size M” or a “size 38” can mean very different things depending on the country, category, and brand. Shoppers compensate by guessing - or by ordering multiple sizes and returning the rest.

Size bracketing (ordering the same product in multiple sizes intending to return what doesn’t fit) can drive a meaningful share of online returns.

Preventive tactic: Localized size and fit guidance

If you want to reduce international returns, this is usually the highest-ROI starting point.

Practical ways to localize size guidance:

• Show region-specific size charts by default (US/UK/EU/JP/KR, etc.), not a single “global” chart.
• Convert units automatically (inches vs. centimeters) and localize fit language (“runs small,” “oversized,” “slim”).
• Add product-level fit signals, not just a chart (e.g., “runs small in the shoulders”).
• Use model context: height + measurements + the size worn, localized to the shopper’s unit system.
• Deploy size recommendation tools for high-return categories.

There’s strong precedent that size guidance can materially reduce returns. But don’t treat size guidance as a static asset. Re-measure and update charts by region using returns data (top return reasons by country, by SKU, by size).

Cause #2: Customers misunderstand product specs

International customers often buy with less context:

• They may not be familiar with local product standards.
• They may interpret product descriptions more literally (or less accurately) in a second language.
• They may miss “obvious” assumptions domestic customers make.

Preventive tactic: Transparent international shipping and product info

International customers buy with less context - and small gaps in product information can turn into high-confidence wrong purchases.

To reduce international returns, remove assumptions on the product page:

• Local-language product information for priority markets (not just translated - localized for how customers in-market describe fit, materials, and use cases).
• Clear, structured specs (dimensions in local units, materials, care instructions, what’s included in the box).
• Compatibility/variation callouts where relevant (regional versions, sizing systems, product variants that look similar but aren’t interchangeable).
• Upfront delivery costs and timelines so expectations match reality before purchase.

Language alone can be a conversion and returns lever. Reports show 76% of online shoppers prefer product information in their native language, and 40% won’t buy from websites in other languages - a strong signal that language gaps create friction and misunderstanding.

Where Reveni fits: If you’re expanding globally, shipping complexity and landed-cost surprises can also fuel dissatisfaction and downstream returns. Cross-border CX breaks when delivery timelines, fees, and post-purchase resolution aren’t predictable. So, optimizing international shipping without compromising customer experience is a must.

Cause #3: Expectations don’t translate across cultures

Misaligned expectations aren’t only about language. Cultural norms shape how shoppers interpret product imagery, styling, and value cues.

For global teams, the takeaway is simple: a product page that converts domestically can confuse internationally if it assumes shared context.

Preventive tactic: Market-specific merchandising (not just translation)

This doesn’t mean rebuilding your store per country. It means fixing the highest-impact expectation gaps.

High-leverage moves:

• Localize imagery where norms differ (styling, modesty, color presentation).
• Localize fit styling (how garments are worn in-market, not only how they’re shot in HQ).
• Add “what to expect” microcopy for common confusion points (“sheer fabric,” “relaxed fit,” “shorter length by design”).
• Use localized UGC: photos and reviews from shoppers in the target region.

Cause #4: Shoppers don’t have enough decision support

When buyers don’t have confidence, they either abandon cart - or buy and plan to return. Tools that increase confidence reduce both.

Preventive tactic: Virtual assistance and reviews (AI + local proof)

This category works best when it’s grounded in verified product data.

What performs well internationally:

• Localized reviews/Q&A, prioritized by the shopper’s market (or closest market).
• Product Q&A that surfaces compatibility answers (“Does this work in the US?” “What’s the inseam in inches?”).
• AI shopping assistants that can answer questions only using your catalog, size guide logic, and policy rules.

AI can also help reduce “information friction” (translation, unit conversion, surfacing relevant reviews) without forcing the customer to hunt.

Risk management note: AI should not invent specs. Limit it to retrieval from structured product data, approved content, and policy rules.

Example: How size guidance can cut returns in international markets

Size-related returns are one of the largest buckets in fashion ecommerce. One reason size tools keep showing up in return-reduction programs: they address uncertainty at the moment of purchase.

Even if you don’t adopt a full sizing solution, the same principle holds:

• if the customer understands fit in their local context,
• they buy more confidently,
• and they return less.

A simple rollout plan to reduce international returns (without boiling the ocean)

Returns reduction strategies (better product info, improved guidance, and exchange-first flows) are direct drivers of margin and customer experience. If you’re scaling into a new market and want impact fast, prioritize in this order:

1. Instrument return reasons by country + SKU (you can’t fix what you don’t classify)
2. Localize size and measurement presentation for your top categories
3. Localize product descriptions for your top SKUs in your top markets
4. Add compatibility/compliance callouts where relevant
5. Launch localized reviews/Q&A (or at least translate the highest-signal reviews)
6. Layer in AI assistance once product data quality is strong

Prevention is the win. A great returns experience is the safety net.

Even with strong prevention, international returns won’t disappear. The goal is fewer avoidable returns - and a smoother experience for the ones that remain.

That’s where a unified cross-border returns and exchanges setup matters. Our Global Returns solution is all about simplifying international returns operations while keeping the customer experience frictionless (including instant options and tracking).

Empowering customers pre-purchase is the fastest path to reduce international returns - and it’s a win-win: lower operational strain, higher trust, and happier global shoppers.