28 Days Later?
Still holding onto those clothes?
Did you know fast fashion trends change every 6 to 8 weeks?
When people return clothes near the end of the 28-day return period, it's often too late to sell them again while they're still in style.
As a result, these items can become outdated and hard to resell, so they end up in landfills or are incinerated.
Scheduled at checkout
Customers can book a convenient return pickup at the same time they place their order.
Easy Repackaging
Orders arrive in a resealable pouch, eliminating the need for new packaging.
At Home Pickup
A courier collects returns right from the customer’s doorstep, no post office trips needed.
Quicker Refunds
Early pickups mean faster processing and refunds while items are still in trend.
INTRODUCING
Genie Returns
At home returns pick up service that customers can schedule while placing their order.
Moreover, with fast fashion trends lasting an average of only 6-8 weeks and fast fashion brands providing almost 28 days to return purchases, returns towards the end of the 28 days means they’re often too late to resell, ending in landfills or incinerated.
We all know the devastating impact fast fashion has had on the environment over the last decade, with the pandemic causing a boom in online fast fashion sales and as much as 23 million returned garments being thrown into landfills just from the UK in 2023.
OUR PROCESS
Initial Research
We started off by breaking down returns in the UK and unpacking the system.
This project began with my personal curiosity around fast fashion and sustainability. I built the initial brief by analysing reports on returns, supply chains, and emerging consumer behaviours. Later, my teammate Aditi joined me, and together we developed the research further.
I genuinely enjoy this phase where I piece together scattered information like a detective, until patterns and insights begin to emerge.
OUR PROCESS
Catarina Midby
Ex-Head of Sustainability at H&M and ASOS
“AR Sizing tools, VR’s are not long term solutions.”
Mike Barry
Ex - Head of Sustainability at Marks and Spencers
“Returns are a cost problem”
Dr.Dawn Ellams
Researcher at RCA, Expert in Circular Design
“How can we make it easier and more accessible for them to return on time?”
Dr.Alessio Franconi
Tutor at RCA, Expert in Circular Design
“Reduce returns window to address depreciation.”
What did the industry experts have to say?
THE FINAL SERVICE
Genie Returns
In order to address this issue of late returns, after understanding what drives late returns and how we can address it, we
With Genie Returns, the journey now looks like -
1
While shopping online, Olivia orders a top in two sizes.
The app detects this and offers Genie Returns as a delivery option for £3.
2
Genie Returns offers return slot booking while placing the order itself!
3
She chooses a convenient pickup slot within a week of delivery (her estimated date being 7th of April).
4
On the 7th she receives her order in a new resealable package that has a bigger resealable flap tucked away inside so that she doesn’t accidentally tear it while opening her package for the first time, letting her return it in the same pouch.
5
She decides which top to keep, reseals the other, and hands it to the Genie courier on the day she picked.
6
Because it’s returned early, the item is near original condition so she gets a quick refund, and the garment is resold while still in trend .
THE FINAL SERVICE
User Testing
THE FINAL SERVICE
The Exhibition
As a part of the final exhibition, we asked this question to the visitors in order to understand our users better and see what could be adjusted in our service in order to make it more effective.
This was a fun method of collecting data as well as engaging people at our exhibit!
Change #1
Cost of the Service - We played around with the cost of a service a lot before settling on 3 pounds.
Change #2
Brand Voice - Changed from convenience focus to sustainability focus as our target age group was 18-30 year olds who statistically nowadays are a lot more focused on sustainability issues.
Change #3
Date and Timings - We changed the duration from 3 days to a week.