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Consumer electronics will once again top holiday wish lists this year, and while they are highly sought-after, they also boast one of the highest return rates of any product category, as up to 20 percent of CE items are returned. This is due to a number of reasons, including: relaxed cross-channel return policies; the increase in online purchases (which come with a higher return rate); and buyer’s remorse and gift-recipient dislike. Buyer frustration also plays a big role in consumer electronic return rates: the average person will spend 20 minutes trying to get a device to work before getting frustrated, giving up and returning it back to the store.
For finance leaders at large retailers and brands, excess and returned inventory can pose a significant drag on working capital and margin performance. With returns projected to cost U.S. retailers $850 billion annually—roughly 17% of total sales—and processing costs ranging…
San Mateo, CA and Chicago, IL, Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New data from both Circana and B-Stock reveals the age of smartphones traded-in reached an all-time high during the 2025 upgrade cycle, with most devices being three generations…