Returns have emerged as a fact of life in the e-commerce era. For some online shoppers, ordering multiple sizes of a product with the intention of shipping back what doesn’t fit has become the norm, much to the expense of retailers.
More than 40% of retailers have seen an increase in such “intentional returns” in the past year, according to omnichannel retail management firm Brightpearl. That’s exacerbating the already margin-crushing costs of fulfillment and delivery for orders that customers actually keep: 44% of retailers say margins are being strongly impacted by handling and packaging returns, with 70% saying they expect to be squeezed further as the practice intensifies.
