A panel of experts at the National Retail Federation’s NRF’24 conference in New York said the retail market had a strong holiday season, and would likely continue to thrive.

What’s particularly attractive about shopping malls is that they offer the possibility of creating a hybrid facility that combines logistics and fulfillment activities with in-person activities for shoppers.

Many retailers have started charging a returns fee, but research suggests this is causing shoppers to switch, with 49% being less loyal to brands that charge for returns.

When tech companies began offloading their reverse logistics businesses, industry giants with physical capabilities were waiting, eager to see if they could deploy those capabilities in-house.

Procurement used to be tasked with a clear and basic mission: Sign up the best suppliers at the cheapest price. Not anymore.

The solution is not eliminating free returns, but fixing convoluted supply chains and collaborating with shippers to make reverse logistics more affordable.

However, the percentage of abuse and fraud impacting total returns continues to trend in the wrong direction, increasing from 10.2% to 13.7%

Households will be able to drop off cables and other electrical waste in-store or have home collections, says the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

2023’s peak season will have seen supply chain professionals both relying on tried-and-true peak season strategies and testing next-gen solutions.

By adapting their strategies, leveraging technology, and embracing innovative concepts like "keep it" returns and buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS) incentives, retailers can better manage the influx of returned items.