Overview
- Return managers report that exchanges where shoppers sized down have climbed each year and hit 14.6% in 2025, a trend linked by firms to rapid weight loss from GLP-1 medications.
- Customers are increasingly ordering multiple sizes online and delaying some purchases, such as wedding dresses, to account for fast body changes that force frequent wardrobe replacement.
- Higher return volumes raise shipping, labor and resale costs, and analysts say a 5-to-10 percentage-point rise in returns can cut tens of millions from a $1 billion retailer’s gross margins.
- Retailers are responding by charging higher restocking fees, tightening sizing guidance, and shifting assortments toward smaller sizes, with some companies publicly reporting fewer plus-size sales.
- Industry sources warn the trend could deepen as GLP-1 use grows, creating ongoing inventory and margin pressure that may force more pricing and policy changes across apparel retail.