Analyzed 3 months of returns data from my store. Tier 2 and tier 3 returns are 3x more expensive than metro returns. Here's the breakdown

Been running my D2C skincare brand for 2 years. Finally sat down and analyzed return data properly. The numbers surprised me. Here's what I found across 847 returns over 3 months: METRO CITIES (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad) — Return rate: 8.2% — Average reverse pickup cost: ₹75 — Average days to receive back: 4.2 days — % where reverse pickup was available: 98% — Damaged on return: 4% TIER 2 CITIES (Jaipur, Lucknow, Surat, Coimbatore) — Return rate: 11.4% — Average reverse pickup cost: ₹95 — Average days to receive back: 8.7 days — % where reverse pickup was available: 71% — Damaged on return: 9% TIER 3 AND BEYOND — Return rate: 14.1% — Average reverse pickup cost: ₹130 (including self-ship reimbursement) — Average days to receive back: 16.3 days — % where reverse pickup was available: 38% — Damaged on return: 22% So a tier 3 return costs me: — 73% more than a metro return — Takes 4x longer — 5x more likely to come back damaged What I changed after seeing this data: 1. Added more photos and a video for every product (tier 3 return rate dropped from 14% to 10% in 2 months) 2. Switched to a shipping aggregator with better tier 3 reverse coverage — pincode availability went from 38% to 71% 3. Started offering 115% store credit as first option for returns — 60% of tier 3 customers now take store credit instead of refund 4. Partnered with a local courier in UP and Bihar for reverse pickups specifically Still not perfect but the numbers are improving. Happy to answer questions. What does your returns data look like?