Retailers are quietly changing return policies what that means for you

"Maybe you'll splurge on a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal, thinking, I'll just return it if they don't like it. But before you click buy, it's worth knowing that many retailers have quietly tightened their return policies in recent years. As a marketing professor, I study how retailers manage the flood of returns that follow big shopping events like these, and what it reveals about the hidden costs of convenience."

"Returns might seem like a routine part of doing business, but they're anything but trivial. According to the National Retail Federation, returns cost U.S. retailers almost US$890 billion each year. Part of that staggering figure comes from returns fraud, which includes everything from consumers buying and wearing items once before returning them a practice known as wardrobing to more deceptive acts such as falsely claiming an item never arrived. Returns also drain resources because they require reverse logistics: shipping, inspecting, restocking and often repackaging items."

The Independent covers topics from reproductive rights to climate change and Big Tech, sending reporters to gather facts on developing stories. The Independent investigates political financing and produces documentaries highlighting American women fighting for reproductive rights. The Independent remains free of paywalls and relies on donations to fund on-the-ground journalism trusted across the political spectrum. Retailers have tightened return policies in recent years, and returns generate nearly US$890 billion in costs for U.S. retailers annually. Returns include fraud such as wardrobing and false non-delivery claims, and they consume resources through reverse logistics including shipping, inspection, restocking and repackaging.

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