Online payments provider Openpay said it has “never been more vital” for retailers to tackle the increasing volume of returns, at a time when businesses have had to extend their returns policies during lockdown.

It comes as new research from Openpay revealed that £5.2bn worth of goods purchased online in Britain are being returned every year.

More than one in 10 shoppers surveyed admitted they made purchases with returns in mind, intentionally buying more items than they intended to keep.