Inside the Hectic Post-Holiday “Returns Season” at a Costco Warehouse

January 26, 2023

The holidays are long gone, but retailers are in the middle of their holiday hangover: returns season. Because after you — the consumer — bring an item back to the store or drop it in the mail, retailers have a lot of work to do. And it’s not as simple as just putting things back on the shelves.

“It’s not one-size-fits-all for every product. Everything you touch has a different story,” said Brandie O’Hara, the company’s director of return operations. “It’s almost like a 31 flavors of returns.”

O’Hara said reverse logistics — that’s the fancy industry term for returns — has exploded with online shopping. “I tend to take additional liberties if I have an online return. I order two vanities and I wanna see which one I like, which one goes with my flooring,” she said.

Shoppers are up to four times more likely to return online purchases, according to the Reverse Logistics Association. It’s why many logistics experts think more retailers will start charging return shipping or restocking fees or get rid of generous return policies.

Listen to the podcast, or read the article, here: https://www.marketplace.org/2023/01/26/inside-the-hectic-post-holiday-returns-season-at-a-costco-warehouse/