Retail returns have risen dramatically
Consumers returned $816 billion worth of items to retailers 2022, more than twice the loss in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The return rate rose from about 8% to over 16%.
A bar chart shows the increase in retail sales value returned. The rise was swift from 2020 to 2021, in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, and wasn't quite as high in 2022 as inflation rose.
