It may be January, but the holiday shopping season isn’t over just yet. The National Retail Federation is forecasting close to a billion dollars in returns for those holiday gifts that just weren’t right. That also means extra work for the U.S. Postal Service. An estimated eight hundred million packages were expected to be shipped between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Postal Service spokeswoman Debra Fetterly says that doesn’t count the returns…
“We're still busy until, like, the middle of January for customers who want to return packages, it's a lot easier these days,” said Fetterly. “We have click and ship which customers can get online to make their labels, whether they're sending something for the holiday gifts or if they're returning something.”
The Associated Press says value was in vogue in 2024. Shoppers and restaurant patrons in the U.S. were choosy about where and how to spend their money as they wrestled with high housing and food prices. Well-heeled shoppers traded down to Walmart and Aldi. Diners opted for fast food or home cooking instead of sit-down restaurants. Department stores struggled as people shopped online or at less-expensive chains like H&M. During January, when a lot of retail returns happen, USPS spokeswoman Fetterly says there are tips to make the shipping process go more smoothly.
“So I encourage everyone to go to usps.com and see exactly what needs to be done. But it's not a problem. But I would say until mid January, we're helping, with customers who need to return whatever,” she said.
The AP says online juggernaut Amazon leaned into its reputation as a destination for deals to appeal to bargain-hungry buyers. In November, it launched Amazon Haul, a new low-cost storefront featuring electronics, apparel and other products priced under $20. And the company said its Prime Day event in July resulted in record sales. But Amazon could face headwinds in the coming year with threatened tariffs on products from China and labor unrest in the U.S. A recent survey by the website ShipStation shows over fifty percent of Baby Boomers think retail returns should be free of charge. Just over thirty percent of Gen Z’ers agree.
