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Pent-up demand, retailers hope, will send shoppers rushing to stores when lockdowns end. Chances are, however, that plenty will be “reverse buyers”, exchanging goods for money as they return pre-lockdown purchases. In addition to the usual toll of ill-fitting clothes will be garments rendered redundant by the pandemic: ski suits bought for an aborted trip to the Alps, perhaps, or frocks never worn to a beach wedding.
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…