CHRW: Building a returns management strategy for the holiday season

ID 125476255 © Artur Szczybylo | Dreamstime.com

CH Robinson’s Dillon Chauhan writes:

With the holiday shopping season quickly approaching, retailers should be preparing not only for the surge in sales but also the surge in returns. Without careful planning, returns can have a serious impact on your supply chain—including eroding margins, complicated inventory flow, and added stress to your warehouses.

For every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $145 million in merchandise returns. In terms of holiday sales retailers can expect to see an average of 14.5% of ...