UPS predicts return spike before Christmas for first time ever, driven by online shopping

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Dec 20, 2018

Wednesday is expected to be a big day for United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) as it awaits a record 1.5 million returns. 

Dubbed 'National Returns Day', the busiest day for returns actually came earlier than usual this year, ahead of Christmas. Usually the day falls in January, after Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Still, the company expects another wave of returns to hit next month including some 1.3 million parcels on January 3. 
 
UPS attributed the shift to more consumers buying gifts for themselves and buying gifts earlier especially in the days leading up to Black Friday. 

Cyber Monday 2018 was dubbed the largest online shopping day of all time in the U.S., with record breaking sales of $7.9 billion, up some 19.7 percent year-over-year, according to a report by Adobe Analytics. 

The online sales record was followed by Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, which each brought in $3.7 billion (28 percent growth YoY) and $6.2 billion (23.6 percent growth YoY) in online shopping revenue.
 
Retailers have also simplified the return process and promised express shipping for deliveries and return, encouraging more consumers to buy online and return.
 
“Leading retailers and brands understand that the returns moment is an increasingly important time to drive future customer loyalty and engagement,” explained Tobin Moore, co-founder and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Optoro, in a news statement.
 
Last year, National Returns Day fell on January 3, when UPS handled 1.4 million return packages.
 
Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.