Ecommerce return rates rose in retail’s longest holiday season yet

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At least 10% of US ecommerce orders were returned each week from last November through mid-January, according to Salesforce. The return rate was as high as 16% in some weeks, a significant increase over the previous holiday season.

Beyond the chart: Ecommerce return volume has exceeded $200 billion each year since 2021, per our forecast. That means huge costs for retailers.

This past holiday season was particularly return-heavy due to its early start and customers’ deal-seeking behaviors. Holiday shoppers returned goods from earlier sales events to get better deals during Cyber Week, helped along by retailers’ generous return windows.

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