Even as shoppers filled retail stores Dec. 26, returning or exchanging Christmas gifts that weren’t quite what they wanted, UPS is gearing up for National Returns Day, Jan. 6, 2015.
With the uptick in online shopping, UPS expects consumers to return more than 800,000 packages to retailers and merchants during the weekend of National Return Day. By the end of January, UPS predicts that it will have carried 4 million return packages in the U.S.
“We have successfully completed two of three phases of the peak holiday delivery season. Our Cyber Weekend and pre-Christmas performance helped retailers take advantage of holiday demand. We are now preparing for a surge in volume driven by Returns Week beginning next Monday,” said Alan Gershenhorn, UPS executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
Gershenhorn said that, as internet shopping has grown, no-hassle returns have become essential to the online shopper. Free shipping labels have made it easy to return unwanted gifts.
He said 66 percent of consumers review a retailer’s return policy before making a purchase, and 68 percent said they would complete an online purchase if the retailer offered a free return shipping label.
The 2014 UPS “Pulse of the Online Shopper Study” said that returns are on the rise, with 62 percent of consumers stating they returned an item bought online in 2014, compared to 51 percent in 2012.
To help retailers provide a simple return experience for consumers, returns can be dropped off at any of the 4,400 UPS Store locations, where employees can assist with packing and shipping. Shoppers can also place their pre-paid ground or air returns into any of the 38,000 UPS Drop Boxes.