Return rate (RTO)
Return rate is the share of orders sent back instead of kept, usually shown as returns divided by total orders, times 100. In India it splits into RTO, return to origin, where a parcel never reaches the buyer and comes back, and post-delivery returns, where a delivered item is sent back.
Return rate is the share of orders sent back instead of kept, usually shown as returns divided by total orders, times 100. In India it splits into RTO, return to origin, where a parcel never reaches the buyer and comes back, and post-delivery returns, where a delivered item is sent back.
Return rate eats margin twice. You pay forward shipping to send the order out and reverse shipping to get it back, and the product can arrive damaged or unsellable. On cash-on-delivery orders the hit is worse, because an RTO parcel ties up packaging and a courier leg with no payment at the end.
Two causes dominate. RTO is mostly an address, intent, and COD problem: wrong pin codes, buyers who change their mind before the courier arrives, or no one to pay at the door. Post-delivery returns are mostly an expectation problem: the product looked or fit differently than the shopper imagined from a flat catalogue photo.
That second cause is the one content can move. The clearer a shopper sees fit, size, fabric, colour, and scale before buying, the fewer surprises arrive at delivery. Returns are never zero, but a buyer who knew what they were getting sends fewer parcels back.
On beyondRegular
Shoppable video targets the expectation gap that drives post-delivery returns. A clip that shows how a kurta drapes, how a serum is applied, or how big a bag really is answers the questions a static photo leaves open, so the shopper who taps add-to-cart already knows what is coming. On beyondRegular you tag those products in real try-on and demo clips, and prices come from your catalogue in INR, so the buyer commits with fewer surprises. It does not fix RTO from wrong addresses or COD refusals, that is a logistics and verification job, but it gives shoppers a truer picture before they order.
Common questions
What is the difference between RTO and a return?
RTO, return to origin, is a parcel that never reaches the buyer and comes back undelivered: wrong address, buyer unreachable, or a refused cash-on-delivery payment at the door. A return is a delivered order the customer chooses to send back after receiving it. RTO is mostly a delivery and intent problem; returns are mostly an expectation problem about fit, size, or quality.
Can shoppable video reduce my return rate?
It can help with the kind of returns caused by mismatched expectations, where the product arrived looking or fitting differently than the shopper pictured from a photo. Showing fit, scale, fabric, and real use in video gives a truer picture before the order. It does not address RTO from wrong addresses or cash-on-delivery refusals, which need address checks and order verification instead.
Related resources
Cash on delivery (COD)
Cash on delivery, or COD, is a payment method where an Indian shopper orders online but pays in cash to the courier at the doorstep when the package arrives. The store ships first and collects later. It is the most trusted checkout option for first-time buyers in India, especially outside metros.
Cart abandonment
Cart abandonment is when a shopper adds products to their cart but leaves before completing the purchase. The cart abandonment rate measures how often this happens: carts not converted to orders, divided by carts created, times 100. It marks lost intent between adding to cart and paying.