UPS expects more than 1M returns a day up to Christmas
UPS gets the business coming as well as going back.
The package delivery company expects a record 1.5 million returns on Wednesday, Dec. 19, which is National Returns Day.
It used to be that the bulk of returns came after Christmas, but now it hits before.
This year, holiday returns season has started earlier than ever.
The spike is driven by self-gifting due to retailer promotions, express shipping for deliveries and returns, simplified returns processes and advanced restocking and management systems, according to UPS.
The company says it’s a reflection of how e-commerce is reshaping the retail scene.
A second spike in returns is expected in January.
In past years, National Returns Day occurred in early January and represented the highest spike of packages for the entire year. Returns are still expected to hit 1.3 million packages on Jan. 3, but this will now represent the second wave and be outpaced by Dec. 19 returns of 1.5 million.
These returns are included in the 800 million packages UPS anticipates delivering this holiday season.