New clothes flood resale sites as free returns vanish

Driving the news: Items listed with the tags still attached jumped 16% in the year through November, according to data Poshmark shared with Axios.

• Listings that include the phrase "final sale" are up 45%.

The big picture: Retailers are fed up with paying for and processing mailed returns, which surged during the pandemic when more people shopped online, Axios' Erica Pandey reports.

By the numbers: Roughly 40% of retailers now charge return fees, according to research from retail technology company Narvar.

• More are shortening return windows or offering tiered returns to push loyalty programs.
• Those who have recently added fees include Zara, J. Crew, H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch, Retail Brew reports.

Between the lines: Unwanted luxury goods often end up on consignment sites.

• The RealReal since 2019 has seen a 35% increase in consigned fashion items that are either in pristine condition or are new with tags, merchandising director Hillary O'Malley tells Axios.

What they're saying: Stricter rules have shoppers "exploring new ways to get their money back on purchases they've changed their mind about," says Chloe Baffert, head of merchandising and curation at Poshmark.