The new report from Optoro and CBRE calls attention to the waste generated by returns: Returned inventory amounts to 9.5 billion pounds of landfill waste annually, the firms said. The rise of e-commerce, which the National Retail Federation predicts could reach between $273.7 billion and $278.8 billion this holiday season, has led to increased returns.
“Reverse logistics have a huge impact on retailers’ bottom lines, and the most effective retailers have built their supply chains to effectively handle the reverse flow of merchandise,” Joe Dunlap, managing director of supply chain advisory at CBRE, said in a statement. “Smart return policies, enlisting help in third party merchandise handlers and making the returns process easy for customers all help retailers increase their rate of recovery on returns.”
