By Mary Goldmeer
Mail

As the holiday shopping season wraps up, millions of Americans are preparing to return gifts or unwanted items. National Returns Day, the busiest day for online returns, typically falls during the first week of January and has grown into a week-long surge of returns. First recognized by UPS in 2017, this period represents a critical time for both shoppers and retailers.

For consumers, it’s an opportunity to return unwanted items and receive refunds or exchanges. Retailers, meanwhile, must manage high volumes of returns, making this period crucial for efficient processing.

Capital One Shopping reports that the average consumer spends $2,735 per year on Amazon alone. With over 300 million active Amazon accounts, this high level of spending contributes to the increase in returns during National Returns Day. As more shoppers embrace free returns and flexible policies, retailers must keep pace with the growing return volume.

Amazon’s network of warehouses, including those in Goodyear, Phoenix, Tolleson and Tucson play a large role in managing returns. These Arizona facilities help streamline the return process by efficiently handling high volumes of products.

Returned items are routed to Amazon return centers where they are inspected and sorted. Items that meet quality standards can be resold as new or used, depending on their condition.

Amazon’s customer service website says the company makes returns accessible with over 8,000 drop-off locations in the U.S., including Whole Foods, Staples, Kohl’s, and The UPS Store. About 80% of Amazon customers are within five miles of a return drop-off point. Many items can be returned in their original packaging, eliminating the need for extra boxes. Self-service kiosks at some locations speed up the process, allowing customers to complete returns in under a minute. Refunds are typically processed within five hours.

Returns can generate significant waste, particularly when items are discarded. However, many retailers, including Amazon, are now focused on reducing environmental impact by donating unsellable products, offering repairs, and recycling. In 2022, Amazon repaired more than 7.6 million items and donated over 160 million products worldwide through partnerships with nonprofits.

National Returns Day and the following returns period present an opportunity for consumers to return items, seek refunds, and adjust holiday purchases. With return systems, faster refunds, and growing sustainability efforts, both shoppers and retailers are adapting to make this time of year more efficient and environmentally conscious.