Last year, Britons spent 110 billion pounds on stuff online: a 46% jump from 2019. After all, it’s easy, you push the ‘buy now’ button and wait for the goods to be delivered to you. While most purchases hit the mark, some returns are inevitable. But what happens to all of those purchases after you send them back?

Just in the first three months of this year nearly six million items, worth an estimated 2.5 billion pounds, were returned. In many cases, retailers take those returns and resell them to businesses looking to get their hands on returned goods. And it’s a booming business. B-Stock’s Head of EMEA, Giorgio Vitale, and B-Stock buyer, Neil Barker, explain in this BBC Radio interview.

Author

Editorial Team

Author

B-Stock Editorial Team

More from the B-Stock Blog

The B-Stock Mobile Insider: Q1, 2026
The B-Stock Mobile Insider: Q1, 2026

Some of the world’s largest wireless OEMs, carriers, and trade-in companies leverage B-Stock’s B2B marketplace to maximize their profits on trade-in mobile devices and accessories. Get insight into secondary market trends to fetch the highest prices for your devices.

Apr 09 2026 · 1 min read

Recommerce and Sustainability: How B-Stock Is Closing the Loop
Recommerce and Sustainability: How B-Stock Is Closing the Loop

Every April, Earth Month serves as a reminder that sustainability isn’t a trend: it’s an imperative. For retailers and brands managing the constant flow of returned, excess, and pre-owned inventory, the question is no longer whether to embrace sustainable practices,…

Apr 02 2026 · 3 min read

Stop Managing the Excess Inventory Backlog. Start Clearing It.
Stop Managing the Excess Inventory Backlog. Start Clearing It.

The numbers are hard to ignore. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers expect ~16% of annual sales to be returned, roughly $850 billion in merchandise. According to McKinsey & Company, it’s forced retailers to spend an estimated $200 billion…

Mar 24 2026 · 4 min read

Like what you see?

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news from B-Stock.