The Price of Fashion: Decoding Retail Policies Amidst Rising Supply Chain Costs

 

Recently, fast fashion retailer H&M backtracked on a decision to charge its UK customers a small return fee on online purchases returned to its brick-and-mortar outlets. But the price of fashion is high, and recent trends like ‘try-and-return’ purchases have prompted several clothing brands to change their return policies. So, how do underlying supply chain factors like fuel and labor costs impact retail pricing and policies?

Travis Tokar, Ph.D., a Professor of Supply Chain Management at the Texas Christian University, offers insight into the ‘price of fashion’ that retailers like H&M navigate.

He explains, “I think that we could look at things like increased fuel and labor in the supply chain costs. That contributes to product as well being more expensive,” linking these elements to the decisions retailers make regarding customer policies.

Article written by MarketScale.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

HR
HR at a Crossroads: Navigating Culture, AI, and the Future of Work
January 13, 2026

The modern workplace is at a crossroads, shaped by the rapid rise of AI, shifting cultural expectations, and increasing pressure on leaders to balance efficiency with humanity. Organizations are being forced to make intentional choices about how they operate, how they lead, and how they invest in their people — choices that will define…

Read More
Trades
From Hands-On to High-Tech: How Innovation Is Transforming the Next Generation of Trades Talent
January 13, 2026

The skilled trades are facing a turning point. With a rapidly retiring workforce and an ever-growing demand for infrastructure, HVAC, and electrical expertise, the U.S. is experiencing a talent gap that’s becoming impossible to ignore. Looking ahead to 2026, industry analysts anticipate the construction sector will need to recruit nearly half a million new workers,…

Read More
continuing education
Career-Connected Continuing Ed: How Upright Education Helps Colleges Upskill Adult Learners in Digital Skills
January 12, 2026

Higher education is undergoing a quiet shift. While undergraduate enrollments remain in long-term decline, continuing education has emerged as one of the sector’s fastest-growing segments, expanding at more than 11% annually. At the same time, rapid advances in AI, data, and cybersecurity are reshaping nearly every job category, forcing institutions to rethink how quickly…

Read More
Dr. G. Duncan Finlay
The Legacy of Dr. G. Duncan Finlay – Episode 6
January 9, 2026

The Rothman Index, developed by Dr. Michael Rothman and his brother Steven, is a pioneering patient acuity score designed to help clinicians recognize patient deterioration earlier and more clearly. Presented as an easily understood, color-coded graph that updates in real time, the Index displays upward and downward trends in patient condition at a glance—transforming…

Read More