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Even in the height of summer, major retailers still have Christmas in mind. For example, in June Argos released its top toy predictions for Christmas 2017, highlighting the toys and games it believed would be the big winners come December. Considering holiday sales can account for as much as 30% of annual revenue, it’s no wonder retailers begin preparing for Christmas long before the season comes around. However, with ever-changing buyer behaviour, trends toward ecommerce, high return rates (one in three gifts are returned to the retailer) and fluctuating sales over recent years, what was once a sure success of a season is now more and more difficult to predict.
Today’s consumer purchases happen more rapidly than ever, making returns an unavoidable aspect of the shopping experience. Every year, billions of dollars worth of returned goods make their way back to retailers, often resulting in excess inventory. Many of these…