The rate of customer returns for goods bought online is swelling to a worrisome level as more consumers switch from physical stores to online. The cost to online retailers is substantial. According to research firm Statista, in 2017 total U.S. return deliveries cost merchants (online and brick-and-mortar) $381 billion and the total is expected to reach $550 billion by 2020.

Service Providers

  • B-Stock. Instead of putting returned items back in inventory or throwing them away, many online and omnichannel retailers are choosing to liquidate them. B-Stock offers individual, branded online auction marketplaces for retailers or brands to sell returned or excess merchandise in bulk quantities to certified resellers. The company’s two largest categories are appliances and apparel. Goods purchased online are often separated from those bought in a physical store because they tend to be in better condition.

Read Practical Ecommerce article >>

 

 

 

More from the B-Stock Blog

What Back-to-School Shoppers Want—And How Resellers Can Deliver
What Back-to-School Shoppers Want—And How Resellers Can Deliver

Back-to-school season is here! For resellers, it’s one of the best times of year to move inventory, attract new buyers, and position your business as a smart way to save on popular products. This year, budget-conscious shoppers are getting their…

Jul 02 2026 · 5 min read

How Jim Rowe Filled a Shopping Desert—With Costco Returns
How Jim Rowe Filled a Shopping Desert—With Costco Returns

Jim Rowe has always been an entrepreneur. From 2002 onward, he and his wife built a sizable chain of restaurants across Washington with nine locations in total. Then COVID hit, and like so many others, everything stopped. Luckily, Jim’s not…

Jun 18 2026 · 9 min read

When Consumers Pull Back, Where Does Your Excess Inventory Go?
When Consumers Pull Back, Where Does Your Excess Inventory Go?

Sustained inflation has compressed consumer spending across categories, resulting in softened sell-through rates and climbing aged inventory ratios. For retailers, brands, and manufacturers, the downstream effects are distinct, but the core problem is the same: the excess inventory is there,…

Jun 17 2026 · 4 min read

Like what you see?

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