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The Causal Impact of Fit Valence and Fit Reference on Online Product Returns

We investigate the causal impact of two types of product fit-related information – fit valence and fit reference – on online product return rate by leveraging a change in the product review system that took place at an online retailer. This quasi-experiment in the apparel product category allows us to examine the importance of fit information. We find that the mere presentation of either fit-valence (e.g. “true to size”) or fit-reference information (e.g. body size) by itself does not help reduce purchase errors. Rather, it is the combination of the two types of fit information in a review that drives the drop in product return rate. We employ the lens of semantic relativism to illustrate how customers interpret fit-valence expressions by using the fit-reference information provided by the same reviewer. Our findings offer useful business implications to online retailers grappling with high product return rates for merchandise where fit matters.