Loop Returns report - and how to build it (with or without AI)

What to check in a returns report

A useful returns report ranks products by rising return rate and ties each spike to a likely cause, not just a raw count.

1. 1.

   Return rate trend by SKU - Spot products where return rate is climbing week over week, not just high in absolute terms

2. 2.

   Return reason breakdown - Group by reason code (size, quality, not as described) to find the dominant driver per SKU

3. 3.

   New vs recurring returners - Separate first-time buyers returning items from repeat customers, they signal different problems

4. 4.

   Time-to-return window - Fast returns often mean sizing or expectation mismatch, slow returns suggest quality wear-out

5. 5.

   Refund vs exchange split - A high refund share vs exchange share hints at fit/quality issues rather than preference

6. 6.

   Cost impact by product line - Rank flagged SKUs by refund dollars at risk to prioritize which fixes matter most

Takeaway: Run this check weekly so you catch a rising return rate while you can still fix the product page, sizing chart, or listing before it drags down margin.