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The more retailers sell this holiday season, the more will likely boomerang back as returns in the new year.
That’s especially true this year due to the surge in online selling, with the ongoing pandemic keeping customers from shopping indoors or limiting their numbers when they do. E-commerce soared 31.2% year over year in October and 32.4% again in November. And a quarter of that, on average, is likely to be returned, with even higher rates for apparel and electronics, according to A.J. Hernandez, CEO of crossborder parcel delivery firm SkyPostal.
Others peg typical e-commerce returns at closer to 30%. Either way, that’s already a lot of sales going in the wrong direction. But for several reasons, retailers could see the rate go even higher.
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…