An “anxiety economy” is a term that’s been used to describe what many American families feel today. Consumers are more conscious of their spending this year, rethinking expenses on little luxuries like eating out and online shopping. But a report by Life360 discovered that there is something that consumers double down on during times of uncertainty.

‍Protection.

‍The report indicates that in an anxiety economy, people are “holding on to what makes them feel better.” 82% of consumers are willing to pay for products that provide a sense of protection — whether that’s practical safety apps or lifestyle subscriptions that ‘protect’ by peace of mind.

We can also see this shift toward protection-seeking behavior reshaping trust expectations for merchants. In the US, 64% of online shoppers have made a return in the past 12 months.

Since 2020, consumer prices have jumped by over 20%. When every dollar buys 20% less than before, the scrutiny around where that money goes is heightened. Post-purchase protection for online shoppers gives consumers peace of mind when interacting with different merchants, functioning as an additional form of protection that safeguards against purchase regret.

What happens without post-purchase promises for online shoppers.

Poor return policies are now a competitive disadvantage. Brands like Zappos, Nordstrom, and REI have turned their return policies into brand moats that drive customer acquisition and loyalty.Without strong return policies, the damage compounds across your entire customer lifecycle:

• Immediate revenue loss: Cart abandonment rates increase by up to 18% when consumers don’t feel confident in a merchant’s return policies. New shoppers who don't yet trust your brand are especially likely to walk away when they see complicated return requirements or short return windows.
• Customer lifetime value erosion: 47% of consumers have stopped shopping with a brand or retailer over a return policy. Losing one repeat customer doesn't just mean losing one sale. It means losing multiple future purchases worth hundreds or thousands of dollars over 12 to 24 months.
• Support team burden: Post-purchase issues account for a sizable chunk of customer support tickets. When your team is overwhelmed handling basic return requests, they have less capacity to provide exceptional service on complex issues, such as product recommendations, technical troubleshooting, or resolving unusual order complications.
• Brand perception damage: 95% of consumers share negative shopping experiences with others, with 54% saying they share it with more than five people. A negative post-purchase experience can quickly spread and erode your brand trust before customers even get a chance to shop with you. This is especially true if those conversations are happening outside your control on platforms where potential customers are actively researching your brand. 

What’s broken in current post-purchase solutions — and how you can fix it.

For merchants, a single return can cost an average of $30 per item once you add up reverse shipping, restocking, repackaging, and customer support time. But that $30 doesn’t just vanish into one expense category. It gets absorbed across a tangled web of vendors and processes.

A typical return touches a few parties:

• A shipping carrier to generate and process the return label
• Third-party logistics partner or fulfillment center to inspect and restock items 
• A customer support platform to verify claims and process refunds or exchanges or a returns management software to automate workflows and analytics

Approach #1: “We’ll just offer free returns on everything.”

‍This is often seen as the most customer-friendly option, but it comes at a steep cost. Return rates for ecommerce can range from a little over 10% to 25% depending on the category of goods being purchased or the season.

For a merchant doing $5 million in annual revenue with a 25% return rate, that’s $1.25 million worth of products returned each year. At an average cost of $30 per return, those returns can cost $375,000 annually.

Approach #2: “We’ll make our policies really clear.”


Transparency is valuable, but clarity doesn’t always equal customer-friendliness. A detailed, rigid policy may help protect the business, but it rarely builds trust if the rules themselves feel risky or unforgiving.

Approach #3: “We’ll partner with a returns or shipping insurance platform.”


Returns management platforms and shipping insurance providers can reduce operational headaches, but they often solve for merchant efficiency, not customer confidence. A well-automated return can still leave customers waiting weeks for resolution or may not fully address their concerns.

What are merchants actually looking for? 

The best return experiences for merchants is protection that scales trust affordably. Merchants today are looking for solutions that:

• Offset the financial impact of returns while keeping experiences customer-friendly
• Reduce the number of return requests by improving pre-purchase confidence
• Turn post-purchase interactions into opportunities for retention, not loss

Removing purchase anxiety is your best growth lever.

If your returns, refunds, or shipping issues are costing you more than they’re earning you trust, it’s time to take a closer look at what’s really happening post-purchase.

Start with an audit.

Calculate how much you’re losing in conversion — especially on final sale and high-AOV items — because customers don’t feel protected. Then, total your support costs from shipping and return-related tickets. For many merchants, the gap between the current state and a protected state represents six to seven figures in recoverable revenue.

That’s the opportunity Seel helps unlock.

Today’s commerce landscape is fragmented. Shoppers interact with multiple marketplaces and social platforms before making a purchase, increasing both the number of choices and the perceived risk. With 73% of adults reporting an online scam or attack, the bar for trust has never been higher.

Instead of absorbing the cost of trust, Seel helps you grow by giving shoppers a sustainable way to protect their orders while giving them a reason to keep coming back. Merchants use Seel to turn post-purchase experiences into incremental revenue, higher conversions, and stronger customer loyalty. Talk to our team today to learn more.