EXPRESS: The Role of Post-Purchase Communications on Product Returns and Downstream Consequences in Online Apparel Retail

The expansion of online apparel retail has introduced a persistent challenge: subtle mismatches between consumer expectations about a product and the reality—particularly regarding attributes like color or texture—often leading to dissatisfaction and costly returns. While prior research has primarily focused on pre-purchase solutions such as virtual try-ons or detailed product descriptions, these tactics are not always effective and are often inaccessible to small- and medium-sized apparel sellers—who comprise the vast majority of firms in the apparel sector—due to resource constraints. In this paper, we explore a low-cost alternative: strategic post-purchase messaging—seller-initiated communications designed to reassure consumers of the product’s quality, acknowledge potential concerns that the product may not be as expected, explain potential discrepancies, and offer recovery strategies and additional product-related guidance after a purchase is complete. Across three empirical studies we find that when consumers experience minor expectation-reality gaps, post-purchase messages sent at the time of delivery can reduce product return intentions and enhance positive downstream consequences, including, satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and repurchase intentions. A follow-up mixed-method survey conducted with small- and medium-sized online sellers supports the empirical findings that sending such messages is logistically and financially feasible. We identify perceived seller trustworthiness as the psychological mechanism driving this effect. Product reputation (based on consumer reviews) and post-purchase message content are explored as two theoretically derived moderators of the effect. Our findings make theoretical contributions and offer practical guidance—particularly for small- and medium-sized online apparel sellers seeking scalable, cost-friendly ways to manage product mismatches and strengthen consumer engagement in the absence of high product reputation.