REPORT: More People Wearing Expensive Clothes Once Before Returning Them to Stores

You might not be the only one who gets away with wearing a fancy dress once before returning it to the store after a big night out.

A new survey shows just how much consumers take advantage of flexible return policies at their favorite retailers.

Survey Shows How Shoppers Use Return Policy To Save

It's apparently easier than you think to buy expensive clothing, wear it once to an event like a wedding or upscale party, and then return it to the store.

Chain Store Age recently broke down the results of a survey conducted by Forter that explored how consumers "take advantage" of return policies. Much of the survey zeroed in on "flexible return policies" that allow for items to be returned after being worn.

According to the outlet, nearly 30% of shoppers surveyed in the U.S. and the U.K. say they "exploit flexible return policies to wardrobe (the term for using then returning a product) expensive items they couldn't otherwise afford."

Those in the 18-34 age bracket tend to do it the most, with 46% responding they wear once before returning.

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Return policies are coming more into focus as financial concerns are starting to mount for some families. Nearly half of those surveyed said they are now buying more from stores with lenient return policies.

Other Ways Consumers Say They Exploit Store Policies

The survey also uncovered additional insight into how shoppers are finding other ways to benefit from store policies.

One of the big ones is opening online or loyalty accounts for businesses that offer perks like free items or discounts. According to Chain Store Age, 58% of survey respondents said it is easy to open multiple accounts with the same retailer to take advantage of perks.

Others are opting to over-purchase to save money on shipping, only to return the unneeded items at a later time. The survey showed 21% using this as a means to reduce shipping costs while shopping online.