CollectPlus predicts busiest day for returns

Returns expected to hit a high on Monday 3^rd December as online shoppers choose to send back unwanted purchases made over the ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ sales weekend.

CollectPlus predicts that next Monday, 3^rd December will be the busiest day of the year for shopping returns. The UK’s largest independent store-based delivery and returns service expects to see the biggest peak in returns as shoppers decide which of the online bargains purchased during this year’s ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ sales they will keep and which they will send back.

Comparing returns volumes over the cyber weekend in 2017, CollectPlus reported an 12% increase in parcel return volumes in the days following the key shopping dates, with Monday 4^th December 2017 seeing the greatest number of returns dropped in store. This year, as online sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday continued to soar, CollectPlus is estimating Monday 3^rd December will prove to be the day that the most purchases are returned after shoppers have a change of heart.

Neil Ashworth, COO of Yodel and CEO of CollectPlus, said: “Black Friday is increasingly an online event so many savvy shoppers head to their favourite retailers’ websites to take advantage of the phenomenal deals up for grabs not only on Black Friday, but over the entire Cyber Weekend. We expect to see a peak in unwanted items being returned on the Tuesday straight after, or ‘Choose-day’, when people decide whether to ‘choose or lose’ their new purchases.

We’ve seen retailers work tirelessly across the entire supply chain to plan effectively for the fulfilment of orders made on and around Black Friday. With the high volume of items being sent back it’s important that they have a robust strategy in place to deal with returns in the same way. Shoppers expect to be quickly and easily reimbursed for online shopping and any delays in the process can lead to delays in repurchase.”

For those worried about not being able to return their parcels during traditional opening hours, the CollectPlus network of over 7,000 convenience stores, newsagents and petrol stations provides online shoppers with a more convenient alternative. Many stores in the network are open seven days a week, early ‘til late.