Retailers are facing financial strain due to the high costs of processing returns, which can cost $25 for every $100 of returned merchandise. To combat this, more items are being marked as final sale and return timeframes are being reduced. Retailers are also implementing restocking and return fees, particularly for online returns. To reduce shipping costs and waste, retailers prefer a buy-online-return-in-store approach. Finally, 66.4% of retailers now charge fees for returns, an increase from 60% in September 2022.
