UPS Says Number Of Packages Returned Peaks BEFORE Christmas, Reflecting E-Commerce Shift

1.5 million returns expected on National Returns Day, Dec. 19, setting a record for the sixth consecutive year; In December, more than 1 million returns expected daily leading up to Christmas

National Returns Day is expected to occur prior to Christmas, reflecting just how deeply e-commerce is reshaping the retail universe, according to UPS (NYSE: UPS).
Consumers who got a jump on online shopping in the days before Black Friday are expected to begin returning more than 1 million packages each day in December, jumpstarting the holiday returns season earlier than ever. The spike is driven by self-gifting due to retailer promotions, express shipping for deliveries and returns, simplified returns processes and advanced re-stocking and management systems.

In past years, National Returns Day occurred in early January and represented the highest spike of packages for the entire year. Returns are still expected to hit 1.3 million packages on Jan. 3, but this will now represent the second wave and be outpaced by Dec. 19th returns of 1.5 million. These returns are included in the 800 million packages UPS anticipates delivering this holiday season.

Research continues to show that to succeed in e-commerce retailers must offer comprehensive returns services. UPS’s Pulse of the Online Shopper study found that … (click to read more)