Returns Management in E-Commerce: The Role of Sustainability in Shaping Customer Satisfaction

The rapid growth of e-commerce has led to a significant increase in product returns, making returns management a critical component of the customer experience and a major challenge for firms in terms of logistics efficiency and environmental sustainability. While reverse logistics has been widely investigated from an operational and environmental perspective, limited empirical research has jointly examined sustainable returns management and customer satisfaction from the consumer point of view. This paper investigates the relationship between sustainable returns management practices and customer satisfaction in the e-commerce context, focusing on consumers’ return behaviors, sustainability perceptions, and post-purchase evaluations. Adopting a consumer-oriented perspective, the study aims to explore how sustainable initiatives implemented within the returns process, such as eco-friendly packaging, digital return labels, and product refurbishment, are perceived by consumers and how they influence satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The research adopts a quantitative methodology based on a structured online questionnaire administered to consumers with prior experience in online shopping and product returns. Data collected from 250 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques to examine purchasing and return behaviors, awareness of the environmental impact of returns, and attitudes toward sustainable return practices. The results show that returns are perceived as a normalized component of the e-commerce experience and that convenience-related factors, such as ease of return and refund speed, remain the primary determinants of customer satisfaction. Sustainability emerges as a relevant but secondary driver, positively influencing satisfaction only when integrated into efficient and user-friendly return processes. Packaging-related sustainable practices and digital return labels are particularly valued, while willingness to accept economic or behavioral trade-offs for sustainability remains limited. The findings also reveal generational differences in sustainability awareness and acceptance of circular economy practices, such as refurbished products. In conclusion, the study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the sustainability–convenience trade-off in returns management and by highlighting the strategic role of sustainable returns as a lever for customer satisfaction and long-term value creation in e-commerce.