If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays, the return may bring even more disappointment.
Americans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines.
Macy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns.
And it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns.
With fast fashion, it’s often just cheaper to throw it out then go through even the most basic of QC steps to ensure the product is still in sellable condition.
The fact that it is fast fashion is the issue. No labor cost since it’s made by slaves. No material cost since it’s basically sewn together with hopes and wishes. All you really pay for is the shipping.
If that garment you want to buy is cheap, odds are it’s made with blood and paid for with climate change.
Yeah I realized after I said it that it was almost certainly fast fashion because those stores are all speedrunning worst practices of all time. I’m both too old and too much of a hippie to shop at any of those places, so I (try to) forget they exist.
You should avoid fast fashion not only because it doesn’t last, but also because a lot of it is made with slave labor.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/09/13/exploitation-forced-labor-drive-fast-fashion-supply-chain/70800035007/
I don’t understand though, because I tried doing research, what other alternatives are there? Seems every damn clothing brand and product has had slave labor involved somewhere.