A few articles last week explored the dirty secret around retail returns: Most don’t make it back to the selling floor.

Instead, many find their way after a lengthy process to pawnshops, dollar stores, flea markets and, sometimes, landfills.

Some aren’t returned to the selling floor because they’re unsellable in their returned condition. Fixing or repackaging an item — even for a broken seal — often takes too long for the product to find its way back to the selling floor.

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