New data shows 77% of consumers have never seen proof of what happens to returned products
Consumers increasingly expect retailers to operate sustainably, but most have no visibility into whether that is actually happening. According to ReturnPro’s Sustainability Proof Gap Report, a new study of 1,000 consumers and 300 retail executives, the breakdown is not in intent, it is in proof.
The report introduces the Sustainability Alignment Index, a first-of-its-kind framework that measures how closely retailer execution aligns with consumer expectations across six key pillars: trust, circularity, visibility, retail readiness, recommerce, and values. The findings reveal a significant and growing gap between what retailers say they are doing and what consumers actually see, understand, and trust.
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Key findings include:
- A false assumption is driving the gap: 85% of consumers assume returned products get a second life, yet only 17% understand what actually happens to returned products, and just 22% have seen retailers disclose outcomes.
- Trust is breaking down: 56% of consumers are unconvinced or skeptical that retailers are honest about their sustainability efforts, despite 89% of retailers expressing confidence that their sustainability-related data would withstand audit.
- Transparency builds trust: 81% of consumers want retailers to disclose what happens to returns, and 59% say clear reporting on reuse and recycling rates would increase their trust.
- Value misalignment has real consequences: 51% of retailers see risk in taking public positions on sustainability issues, and 46% of consumers say they have stopped shopping with a retailer due to value misalignment.
- Recommerce demand is outpacing execution: 82% of consumers are open to buying open-box or returned items, yet recommerce contributes less than 5% of retailer revenue.
“Sustainability in retail isn’t failing because of lack of intent, it’s breaking down at the point of proof,” said Sender Shamiss, Co-Founder and CEO of ReturnPro. “Retailers have made meaningful investments in sustainability, but without making those outcomes visible to consumers, that effort does not translate into trust. This is not a measurement gap; it’s a credibility gap.”
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Consumers are ready to reward proof, not promises
The report finds that when sustainability becomes tangible and verifiable, consumer behavior shifts quickly:
- 54% are more likely to purchase from retailers that can prove products are reused or resold
- 74% would accept slower shipping to reduce environmental impact
- 59% would accept stricter return policies if reuse is guaranteed
- 53% would pay more when sustainability benefits are clearly demonstrated
These findings point to a clear opportunity: sustainability can influence purchasing decisions, but only when it is visible, credible, and tied to real outcomes.
Returns represent one of the most immediate opportunities to close this gap. Sitting at the intersection of operations, customer experience, and sustainability, returns are a critical moment where retailers can validate circularity, reinforce values, and build trust through transparency.
