\u201cOur partner brands, which have offline stores, would typically witness 20% returns on their direct to consumer websites. But for the same purchases on offline stores, the returns are less than 1%. That is the idea. With the \u2018try and buy\u2019 feature, users can make a very decisive purchase at their doorstep,\u201d Archit Nanda, CEO of Knot, told ET.<\/p>\n
Return rates among users of the company\u2019s virtual try-on feature are similarly much lower than the platform\u2019s overall user base, he said.<\/p>\n
Other venture-backed quick fashion delivery startups<\/a> such as Bengaluru-based Slikk<\/a>, Mumbai-based Zilo and Gurugram-based Zulu Club are also testing similar features to increase conversions and reduce returns.<\/p>\n \u201cReturns play as big a part as maybe forward delivery does. Because these are expensive products, giving the customer his or her money back also plays a very critical role,\u201d said Akshay Gulati, cofounder and CEO of Slikk.<\/p>\n Instant returns Some users said they were satisfied with the delivery speed and trial window but pointed out that the app does not provide any return status updates until the product reaches the warehouse.<\/p>\n “I received my order within 60 minutes and had enough time to try it out. However, after returning the product, I didn\u2019t receive any notification in the application until the delivery agent reached the warehouse,” said Mohammed Shibili, a working professional based in Bengaluru, who tried Slikk’s feature.<\/p>\n Also Read: Quick-fashion delivery startups attract fresh VC capital<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFeatures like try and buy are a huge cost save, not just for the platform but also for the brand. The brand otherwise would lose that inventory till it comes back and can\u2019t make the sale on it. But now, that\u2019s all getting quickly turned around. So, for the brand, it\u2019s a win-win situation as well as for the customer where the money is not getting stuck till it gets the returns refunded,\u201d said Sunitha Viswanathan, partner at Kae Capital.<\/p>\n Also Read: Blinkit, Zepto pilot returns, exchanges to ace fashion ecommerce<\/a><\/p>\n Old model, new infrastructure \u201cBack when Myntra launched \u2018try and buy\u2019, there was no hyperlocal delivery infrastructure. Deliveries were through national courier services. That model isn\u2019t feasible to try and buy unless you have your own hyperlocal delivery fleet,\u201d the founder of a fashion delivery startup said on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n The founder added that while Myntra operated from large warehouses located on the outskirts of cities, the new-age supply chains are built within cities, allowing faster deliveries and enabling features like try and buy.<\/p>\n
Slikk is piloting an \u2018instant returns\u2019 feature where, like its 60-minute delivery service, returns are also completed within an hour. Once a return request is made on the app, a delivery partner picks up the product and refunds the amount instantly. The startup claims its return rate is 40-50% lower than that of traditional marketplaces and that it doesn\u2019t charge customers any extra fees for returns.<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Startups.jpg\")
ETtech
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Investor interest
Investors tracking the segment estimate that try-and-buy and virtual try-on features can reduce return rates by 15-20 percentage points, translating into substantial cost savings for both platforms and brands.<\/p>\n
Flipkart-owned fashion etailer Myntra had introduced try and buy back in 2016 to attract traditional shoppers to online retail. However, the feature didn\u2019t scale up due to supply chain limitations, according to industry executives.<\/p>\n