Product Return Rate Calculator
Reviewed by Hamza Gujjar, Algorithm Architect & Software Developer
Last updated: July 28, 2026Product Return Rate Calculator
Understanding your return rate is essential for e-commerce profitability planning - this calculator gives a clean percentage figure.
Return Rate = (Units Returned / Total Units Shipped) x 100
Example
1,000 units shipped, 220 units returned:
Return Rate = (220/1000) x 100 = 22.00%
Why Return Rates Vary Dramatically by Category
E-commerce return rates vary enormously by product category - apparel commonly sees return rates well above 20% due to sizing and fit issues alone, while categories like consumables or basic hardware typically see much lower rates, making category-specific benchmarking far more useful than comparing against a single universal target.
Track This by SKU, Not Just Overall
Calculating return rate at the individual product/SKU level (rather than only at the overall store level) often reveals specific problem products - a poorly-sized garment or a product with an unclear listing driving unusually high returns - that get masked in an aggregated store-wide average.