The popularity of online shopping has accelerated rapidly over the last 18 months, with U.S. e-commerce brands experiencing 44% growth in 2020. Shoppers have become increasingly inclined to buy items online that, prior to the pandemic, they might have purchased in-store. Retailers have had to adapt quickly to provide consumers with the best possible online shopping experience, while maximizing profits during these disruptive times.
Because of this seismic shift in retail shopping trends, merchants that previously focused on brick-and-mortar sales are facing a mountain of product returns without the proper infrastructure to handle the volume in a profitable way. Managing returns is driving up costs and becoming a growing concern for business leaders. As such, it’s never been more important for retailers to solve the reverse logistics puzzle.