Digitala verktyg för hållbara returer : En kvalitativ studie om hur digitala verktyg tillämpas för attreducera returer och bidrar till en hållbar e-handel

Sammanfattning: Although digitization and the internet have created theconditions for today’s advances in e-commerce, the increasingly high volume of returns has become a lingeringproblem. Consumers who turn to e-commerce return to agreater extent than those who shop in traditional brick andmortar stores, and with the challenge that comes withreturns, there is growing concern around sustainability. Byapplying various digital tools to e-commerce platforms,returns can be reduced, contributing to greater sustainabilityin e-commerce. The purpose of this study is to investigateand describe how digital tools are being applied in ecommerce companies to reduce returns. The results is basedon interviews with seven e-commerce companies that wereconducted to take a closer look at how e-commercecompanies work with digital tools in order to lower returns.This study was carried out with support from the theoreticalframework where digital tools that were seen as essential inthe literature formed the foundation of the study. Five digitaltools were identified: digital measurement tools, digitalvisualization tools, digital product information, digitalsustainability information and digital return policy. Thesetools are instrumental in decreasing returns in e-commerceand thus contribute to sustainability within e-commerce. Thestudy shows that digital tools are used in varying ways inSwedish e-commerce. Some of the tools are used morefrequently than others, while some of the identified tools arenot used at all. Therefore, the conclusion is that there areshortcomings in how the tools are used in reducing returnsand there is room to work more proactively with the digitaltools studied. By doing so, there is potential to bothencourage and contribute to sustainable consumption withine-commerce. Further study of the reasons behind whycertain tools are not used is therefore a suggestion for furtherresearch.