Skip to main content

How Retailers Deal with Returns

Behind the scenes of managing millions of unwanted items each year.


Retail, Marketing and Advertising Ethics Operations Management Product Distribution Supply & Demand Chapter 1 Taking Risks & Making Profits Chapter 2 Economics Chapter 4 Ethics & Social Responsibility Chapter 9 Production & Operations Management Chapter 13 Marketing Chapter 14 Product & Price Chapter 15 Distribution Video Blog Understanding Business Higher Education

The National Retail Federation says that customer returns are increasing across the industry, driven primarily by online returns that have more than doubled in the last few years. Contrary to what many consumers may think, these products don’t simply boomerang back onto store shelves. As the video below shows, returned items take a complicated journey from warehouse to warehouse that frequently ends either at a secondary resale center or a landfill.

Questions:

  1. Why do many returned products end up in secondary resale centers or landfills? 
  2. Do you think consumers would be less willing to frequently return online items if they knew about the complicated process behind returns? Why or why not?
Author: NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Related Content:

  • How Live Nation is Devouring the Music Industry

    Promoter’s consolidation raises prices and antitrust scrutiny.

  • Soaring Chocolate Prices Impact Businesses around the Globe

    Supply chain woes and weather push cocoa to record highs.

  • Temu Attracts Millions of Customers with Rock-Bottom Prices 

    Ultra-low prices fuel viral growth for Chinese e-commerce challenger.