B-Stock CEO: How Strategic Liquidation Solves Retail #Returnageddon

Returns are a big — if unsung — part of the holiday season. According to data compiled by B-Stock Solutions, a marketplace that liquidates returned merchandise for retailers like Amazon, Macy’s, Target, Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, and Best Buy, if Q4 is all about holiday spending, Q1 is all about handling the wave of returns that the experts have dubbed Returnageddon.

About one-third of consumers will return something when all the holiday excitement is said and done, adding up to over $90 billion in value. Trendy women’s apparel, specialty kitchen items, tools, seasonal items and toys lead the pack when it comes to items sent back — and there is a lot of it. According to B-Stock’s figures, the number of truckloads of returned merchandise doubles in Q1 as the inventory the firm sees from its clients spikes up 60 percent. All in, 25 percent of returns take place during the holiday season — and the number of returns has been growing. As of 2017, returns were up 50 percent from 2015 and 35 percent from 2016.

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