BT-REQ-1940 Consumer Holiday Guide 2023 v9 BH - Flipbook - Page 8
E-commerce returns
in the United States
Meryl Bernstein
MK Barker
Rachel Eisen
Partner, Retail and Fashion Co-head
New York
Associate
Northern Virginia
Senior Associate
Northern Virginia
Holiday shoppers are already making their lists and checking
them twice, and most are 昀椀lling their carts from home. In a recent
press release, the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasted
that holiday spending will reach record levels this season,
with online sales expected to climb up to $278.8 billion.
But what happens when the holiday
whirlwind settles? Wrong size, wrong
color, or wrong gift entirely, shoppers
will be looking to make exchanges or
returns. In 2022, NRF reported that
holiday return rates are typically around
18%, making returns big business for
U.S. retailers.
While many retailers accept returns to
maintain goodwill with consumers, there
is no federal law requiring retailers to
do so, and many U.S. state laws defer to
retailers’ policies rather than imposing
a昀케rmative requirements.
