Retailers expect more than $761 billion in merchandise sold last year to be returned by consumers, according to a report released by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail. This accounts for an average of 16.6 percent of total U.S. retail sales, which soared to $4.583 trillion in 2021.
“As total retail sales continue to accelerate from sustained consumer demand during the pandemic, it is no surprise that the overall rate of returns has also been impacted,” said Mark Mathews, NRF’s vice president of research development and industry analysis.
