It is estimated that roughly 20% of all online retail purchases get returned. That adds up to billions of electronics, books, shoes, home goods, and more traversing the country, bouncing from a warehouse to a dissatisfied customer and then back to the seller. So, what happens when these products are returned? Should we be concerned that someday we might be sent someone’s used Nikes……or worse, their ill-fitting underwear? According to a 2023 study, depending on the return shipping costs, an unwanted item might just remain with the buyer. Amazon, for example, often instructs customers to simply keep their return, since the economics of paying to have it sent back fail to add up. If the seal is not broken and the wrap is intact, the item is going back on the shelf to be resold. Retailers also make use of liquidation companies to repurpose products. It might end up at a local thrift shop, an outlet store, or on eBay, where third-party sellers peddle their wares. When all else fails, some items can wind up in a landfill.
