Gen Z ‘Returniture’ trend piles pressure on UK retailers

Almost one in three Gen Z shoppers in the UK have returned large furniture items bought online as social media trends drive a fast-fashion approach to home interiors, according to new research from retail visualisation firm Fixtuur.

The study finds that “Returniture” is spreading across age groups and adding to costs for retailers who already face thin margins and complex logistics on bulky items.

Fixtuur surveyed 1,500 furniture buyers across the UK. The company asked respondents about their recent purchases, their use of social media and their attitudes to product returns.

The results indicate that 31% of Gen Z respondents have sent back large items such as sofas, beds and dining tables bought online. One in five Gen Z shoppers, or 21%, reported returning a full bathroom or kitchen suite.

More than half of Gen Z respondents, 59%, said they now see returning large home items as “normal”. The figures suggest that behaviour that started with fashion and beauty products is now appearing in higher-value home categories.

The pattern is not limited to younger customers. Almost a quarter of all UK shoppers, 23%, said they had returned large furniture items within the last two years. Nearly three quarters of those, 73%, said this is “just how online shopping works”.

The report links the shift in behaviour to social networks such as TikTok and Instagram. These platforms promote a stream of interior design content and regular refreshes of décor.

Among those surveyed, 45% said they feel under pressure to keep their homes up to date with looks they see online. A further 58% said influencers are fuelling a “buy, try, return” culture in furniture and homeware.

This environment has made it easier for consumers to treat big-ticket items as interchangeable. It also shortens the time between purchase and return as new trends emerge.

The rise in Returniture adds direct and indirect costs for retailers. Large furniture items are expensive to ship, store and refurbish. They are also harder to resell once opened or damaged in transit.

Two-thirds of furniture buyers, 69%, believe retailers should pay for the cost of these returns. This expectation can increase operational costs and pressure on profit margins.

Not all returns stem from changing tastes or impulse buying. Many arise from basic mismatches between products and homes.

Sixty per cent of respondents said they had bought furniture online that turned out to be the wrong size. Almost half, 49%, said they had ordered items that did not fit through the door or could not go up the stairs.

These outcomes suggest problems with product information, measurements and visualisation on retail sites. They also underline the difficulty of judging proportion and scale from static images.

Fixtuur’s Chief Marketing Officer Anthony Botibol said the trend has both cultural and practical drivers.

“Returniture might be fuelled by social media, but there are also a huge number of shoppers who just want their furniture to be right first time. Online furniture shopping has become a minefield, with items arriving that are totally different from what's been described or shown online. This isn't just bad for buyers, it's costing retailers a fortune in returns,” said Anthony Botibol, CMO, Fixtuur.

Furniture sellers are testing visual tools that aim to reduce mismatches between expectations and reality. These include 3D product models, 360-degree photos and augmented reality (AR) features.

These tools let shoppers view items from multiple angles. They also place virtual furniture into images of real rooms through smartphone apps.

According to Fixtuur, almost half of shoppers, 47%, said such tools would give them more confidence before buying. Retailers that have adopted 3D and AR technology report up to a 70% reduction in returns for furniture, the company said.

The figures suggest that better visualisation may ease some of the cost burden associated with Returniture. They also hint at a shift in how retailers present complex products online.

Botibol said visual accuracy is now a central issue in online furniture sales.

“Product photos are often hugely misleading. If Britain's retailers are going to cut back on costly returns, they need to let customers really see what they're buying. AR to view the product in their space, and 3D visualisations to explore every angle, are by far the best way to achieve that,” said Botibol.

Fixtuur said more retailers in furniture, bathroom and home improvement categories are now exploring advanced visualisation tools as they plan digital investments for 2026.