Return analytics software - and how to track it (with or without AI)

What good return analytics software should track

Good return analytics software spots rising return rates early and explains why, not just how much.

1. 1.

   Return rate by SKU, trended weekly - Catches products quietly drifting from 3% to 15% before it hits margins

2. 2.

   Return reason breakdown - Separates sizing, quality, and 'not as described' issues so fixes target the right cause

3. 3.

   Refund dollars vs units returned - High-value items with low return counts can still be a bigger problem than frequent cheap returns

4. 4.

   New product return velocity - Flags listing or quality issues fast, before a bad batch reaches full sales volume

5. 5.

   Return rate by channel or variant - Reveals whether it's a sizing chart, a specific color, or a marketing mismatch driving returns

6. 6.

   Repeat-return customers - Distinguishes genuine product issues from serial returners skewing the data

Takeaway: Run this check weekly, not after a complaint spike, so you catch a return problem while it's still a handful of orders.