Post Office predicts £813m pre-Christmas returns surge

The Post Office is predicting its biggest ever pre-Christmas returns surge, with 3.6m consumers expected to return £813m worth of online purchases.

The poll of 2,000 consumers found that 75 per cent of Christmas present returns are carried out before 25 December, with 42 per cent of all gifts purchased online.

In the UK, the research found that women are more likely to return items, with one in six sending gifts back ten days before Christmas, compared to one in eight men who return unwanted presents two days before Christmas, and one in 14 men who wait until Christmas Eve to return items.

Purchasing multiple presents and party outfits before Christmas to then return unwanted items was a tactic favoured by many, with 35 per cent of women predicted to buy up to six outfits online with the intention of returning their least favourite items.

The research highlights a major shift from the in-store ‘try, buy and return’ process to a system of ‘multiple buy, try and return’. The growing convenience of returning online purchases has given consumers the freedom to return or exchange items swiftly.

Paul Brown, Post Office head of mails said: “The real benefit of easier returns is that they allow shoppers the freedom to change their mind without being out of pocket. That means that many can even squeeze in another round of shopping before Christmas – be that online or on our vibrant high streets.”

A surge in online shopping in the Christmas period, including the Black Friday and Cyber Monday peaks, lead FedEx to anticipate moving 290m shipments globally between Black Friday and Christmas Eve, representing an 8.8 per cent year-on-year increase.

IMRG Capgemini expects a strong online sales performance in November – up 20 per cent year-on-year and 37 per cent month-on-month – plus the strong start to December with Cyber Monday sales to boost total year-on-year growth to 16 per cent.

Adgild Hop, principal, head of retail consulting at Capgemini said: “In light of the fulfilment challenges that the industry has suffered post-Black Friday, we will also be eagerly holding our breath as to whether retailers can indeed fulfil the increased home delivery and click&collect volumes for Christmas. Few things would be more damaging to loyalty than broken promises at this time of year.”

Source: logisticsmanager.com
Portal: logistik-express.com

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