Putting 'Free' first on delivery and returns: +12.3% checkouts
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsZalora reworded its product page perks to lead with the word Free, and checkouts rose 12.3%.
The labels became 'Free Delivery above $150' and 'Free 30 Days Return'.
Zalora's team came up with the idea and Wingify Services set up the test, which was published as a VWO case study.
- Checkouts: +12.3% for the Free-first variant versus the control.
- Price-adjacent variant: adding '& Free Returns' beside the price lost to variant 1. Its exact result was not shared.
- The test ran on all product pages of the English and Chinese sites.
The change
Same perks, but each label now starts with the word Free.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Product pages tucked delivery and return perks under a See more section, labeled 'Delivery above $150' and '30 Days Return'. Customer service had found that many shoppers didn't know returns were free.
Variant
The same labels with Free moved to the front: 'Free Delivery above $150' and 'Free 30 Days Return'. A second variant instead added '& Free Returns' next to the price, but it did not win.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- People read left to right, so putting Free first means the benefit is seen before the condition.
- Shoppers worried about fit get reassurance that sending items back costs nothing.
- Zalora's team suggested that drawing extra attention to the price, as variant 2 did, can put buyers off early.
Caveats: This was a three-way test and only the winner's number was shared. No sample size, duration or confidence level was given, and the result is vendor-reported.
Who ran it
VWO ran this test for Zalora and published the results (VWO case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on VWO →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we start our delivery and returns labels with the word Free, then more shoppers will check out because they notice the perk before the fine print.
- Primary metric
- Checkout starts per product page visitor
- Guardrails
- Return rate
- Average order value
- Completed orders
- Who should test it
- Fashion and other stores that offer free returns or free delivery but bury it in small text. It won't help if your delivery or returns aren't actually free.
Questions
Does the word 'free' really change conversions?
Here, moving Free to the start of two labels lifted checkouts by 12.3%.
The offer itself didn't change, only how clearly it was stated.
Should I show free returns next to the price?
Not necessarily. Zalora tested '& Free Returns' beside the price and it lost to the Free-first labels.
Where should delivery and returns info go on a product page?
Close to the buy button and visible without extra clicks.
Zalora's original page hid it under See more, and shoppers missed it.
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