Summary
Retail returns in 2024 are projected to reach $890 billion, up from $743 billion in 2023, driven by practices like “bracketing” (ordering multiple sizes/colors) and “wardrobing” (buying for one-time use).
Rising return rates burden retailers, costing up to 30% of an item’s price to process, while contributing to landfill waste and carbon emissions.
To address the issue, 81% of retailers tightened return policies in 2023, with some implementing fees or offering “keep it” refunds.
Sustainable resale programs and customer-friendly policies are emerging as strategies to balance costs and consumer expectations.
Maybe if they didn’t sell garbage that advertises itself with false promises the return rate would be lower.
might be good for the environment if it was common to sell things that did not break in a year and need to be replaced.
yup. go/gi
Loss of profits sounds like a you problem. Don’t really care about that.
As for the environmental impact of returns, good point. I’m happy with the “keep it and have your money back” system. Imo it should be mandatory if the retailer is online-only, but that’s a stretch. Maybe the US should focus on basic consumer rights first. But that sounds like a bulletpoint for in 4 years time, if it’s still applicable then.
how does someone keeping something broken or they don’t want to use good for the environment. thats like guaranteed landfill. they should take it back and dispose of it properly.
For broken things it would be best to have them thrown away locally than shipped back again, then bundled and shipped as a mystery pallet.
I mean it should really move up the chain and their should be a requirement for maximum recycling. A total cost type thing that might result in longer lasting products.
In four years time our window for action on the environment will be barely cracked open. It will be too late.
Future generations will revile those from our time.
One thing I found odd when living in the USA was how much folks treated a shop like a library. For a small example I needed a tape measure for a job, my boss suggested buying it, using it, and then returning it. Always thought that was weird, I’d only ever return something broken or that didn’t match the description.
Maybe of they stop selling garbage.
And people stop buying said garbage.
Just maybe these numbers would be lower.
