UPS said earlier this week it will handle more than 60 million returns this holiday season, 10 percent higher than last year and a new record. That partly reflects booming November and December sales. But retailers and brands will pay more to take those orders back, as carriers have raised shipping costs repeatedly during the pandemic to cope with surging package volumes.
It doesn’t get any easier once those unwanted orders reach the warehouse; processing returns is notoriously labour-intensive, and the logistics industry is facing a worker shortage. “Returns are a huge headache for every brand and the most challenging piece is the manpower,” said Iva Pawling, founder of Richer Poorer, an e-commerce brand specialising in everyday basics.
The best ways to handle the deluge of returns this year? Reduce their likelihood in the first place, and then leverage physical locations to keep shipping costs down. Read the fully story by @BoF’s @Kittykewlcat. #supplychain #logistics [Link in bio] ? @gettyimages
It doesn’t get any easier once those unwanted orders reach the warehouse; processing returns is notoriously labour-intensive, and the logistics industry is facing a worker shortage. “Returns are a huge headache for every brand and the most challenging piece is the manpower,” said Iva Pawling, founder of Richer Poorer, an e-commerce brand specialising in everyday basics.
The best ways to handle the deluge of returns this year? Reduce their likelihood in the first place, and then leverage physical locations to keep shipping costs down. Read the fully story by @BoF’s @Kittykewlcat. #supplychain #logistics [Link in bio] ? @gettyimages
