Size Bracketing: Why Shoppers Order Two Sizes (And What to Do)
Bracketing is when a shopper orders the same item in two sizes fully intending to send one back. It's rational behaviour on their side and expensive on yours — and it's a direct symptom of sizing uncertainty.
Quick answers
- What is bracketing?
- Ordering multiple sizes intending to return some
- Is it common?
- Yes — NRF reports it as mainstream behaviour
- Why do shoppers do it?
- They can't tell which size will fit
- How do I reduce it?
- Remove the uncertainty, not the returns policy
Why Shoppers Bracket
| Driver | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| "I don't know my size in this brand" | Your chart isn't trusted or clear |
| "Returns are free anyway" | Your policy removes the cost of guessing |
| "It's between two sizes" | No guidance on how the item runs |
| "I've been burned before" | Past fit failure, low confidence |
Notes
Bracketing is a confidence problem, not a character flaw. Shoppers bracket because they genuinely cannot tell which size will fit from an S/M/L label. Given free returns, ordering two is the rational move. The NRF's 2025 returns report identifies bracketing among the costly returns behaviours now practised widely.
Don't fight it by punishing customers. The tempting fix — charging for returns — reduces bracketing and also reduces sales, because it makes buying riskier for everyone including the customers who'd have kept the item. You'd be treating the symptom and taxing your best shoppers.
Fix the cause: make one size obviously correct. Give real garment measurements, state how the item runs, show model size and height, and offer a fit recommender that names a size. When a shopper is confident, a second size is a pointless extra step — they'll skip it on their own.
Watch bracketing in your own data. Look for orders containing the same product in two adjacent sizes. That count is your bracketing rate, and it's one of the cleanest measures of how much your customers distrust your sizing.
FAQs
What is size bracketing in ecommerce?
Ordering the same item in two or more sizes with the intention of keeping one and returning the rest. The National Retail Federation's 2025 returns research identifies it as a mainstream, costly returns behaviour, and it's especially common in apparel.
How do I stop customers bracketing?
Remove the uncertainty that causes it: publish real garment measurements, say whether the item runs small or large, show the model's size and height, and add a fit recommender. Charging for returns suppresses bracketing but also suppresses sales.
How do I measure my bracketing rate?
Count orders that contain the same product in two adjacent sizes. That figure is a direct read on how little your shoppers trust your size chart — and it should fall as your sizing information improves.
Need this on your store?
Tailor Size Guide ships pre-built size charts for Shopify.