The Future of Holiday Returns: Turning a Cost Center into a Loyalty Driver

Every year, the post-holiday period brings a tidal wave of returns, challenging even the most sophisticated retailers. As e-commerce and omnichannel shopping continue to surge, the volume and complexity of holiday returns have reached historic highs. For retail executives, this is not just a logistical headache—it’s a trillion-dollar problem that erodes margins, strains supply chains, and threatens customer loyalty at the very moment brands are seeking to cement relationships with new and existing shoppers. Yet, with the right strategies, holiday returns can be transformed from a cost center into a powerful lever for customer experience and loyalty.

The Dual Challenge: Reducing Returns and Optimizing Reverse Logistics

Retailers face a twofold challenge during the holiday season:

Minimizing the volume of returns by helping customers get it right the first time.
Optimizing the cost and experience of returns when they do occur, ensuring operational efficiency without sacrificing customer goodwill.

Returns are more than a seasonal spike—they are a perennial profitability lever. Industry data shows that 5–10% of all sales are returned, with rates spiking dramatically after the holidays. Many of these returns are now shipped back, increasing costs for postage, handling, and restocking. Each return can mean multiple shipping legs, restocking, and sometimes liquidation or landfill, directly impacting margins. At the same time, 84% of shoppers say they would reject a retailer after a bad returns process, making the returns experience a critical touchpoint for loyalty.

Actionable Strategies for Minimizing Return Rates

1. Leverage Data to Predict and Prevent Returns

Fit and Product Data: Use purchase and return history to recommend the right size or product variant. Leading retailers now show customers data such as “people like you kept this size” or “this item runs small.”
Rich Product Content: High-definition images, videos, and detailed descriptions reduce surprises. Showing products on diverse models, with clear sizing and fit information, helps customers make confident choices.
Third-Party Reviews: Integrate trusted reviews and ratings to set accurate expectations and reduce buyer’s remorse.

2. Address Serial Returners with Targeted Approaches

Identify Patterns: Use analytics to flag customers who habitually buy multiple sizes or styles with the intent to return most items.
Dynamic Policies: Consider charging for returns or limiting free returns for serial returners, while maintaining generous policies for high-value, low-return customers. Test these changes carefully to avoid negative brand impact.
Incentivize Better Behavior: Encourage in-store returns or exchanges, which can reduce costs and create opportunities for additional sales. Offer perks or discounts for customers who return in person or use lower-cost channels.

3. Optimize Reverse Logistics for Cost and Experience

Smart Routing: Dynamically generate return labels that direct products to the optimal location—whether a warehouse, store, or even directly to another customer—minimizing unnecessary shipping and handling.
Automated Decisioning: For low-value or hard-to-resell items, consider telling customers to keep, donate, or recycle the product rather than return it. This approach, already used by some major retailers, can save costs and boost customer satisfaction.
Sustainability Messaging: Appeal to customers’ environmental values by highlighting the carbon impact of returns and offering greener options, such as consolidated drop-off points or local donation.

Balancing Cost Control with Customer Experience

The most successful retailers recognize that returns are not just a cost to be minimized—they are a critical touchpoint in the customer journey. Key principles include:

Transparency: Clearly communicate return policies, timelines, and processes. Surprises or hidden fees erode trust.
Flexibility: Offer multiple return options—by mail, in-store, or via third-party locations—to meet diverse customer needs.
Speed: Process refunds quickly and keep customers informed throughout the process.

Turning Returns into a Loyalty-Building Opportunity

Returns are often the moment when a customer decides whether to shop with a brand again. Retailers that excel in this area:

Use returns as a data-gathering opportunity to better understand customer preferences and pain points.
Personalize follow-up communications—for example, suggesting alternative products or offering tailored incentives to keep the customer engaged.
Integrate returns into loyalty programs, rewarding positive behaviors and long-term value rather than just spend.

Technology and Policy Innovations from Leading Retailers

Unified Commerce Platforms: Retailers investing in single views of inventory and customer data can offer seamless omnichannel returns, fulfilling online orders from stores and vice versa.
Dynamic Pricing and Promotions: By using real-time data on returns and demand, retailers can adjust pricing and offers to optimize sell-through and reduce the need for post-holiday markdowns.
Retail Media Networks: Some retailers are monetizing their digital properties by offering targeted ads and sponsored content, using data from returns and customer behavior to drive incremental revenue.

Publicis Sapient’s Perspective: Returns as a Strategic Lever

At Publicis Sapient, we work with leading retailers to reimagine the returns process as a strategic asset. Our approach combines:

Data-driven insights to predict and prevent returns before they happen.
Operational transformation to streamline reverse logistics and reduce costs.
Customer experience design that turns returns into a moment of loyalty, not loss.

We’ve seen firsthand that retailers who invest in these areas not only protect their margins during the holiday surge, but also build deeper, more resilient relationships with their customers—turning a perennial pain point into a source of competitive advantage.

Ready to Transform Your Holiday Returns Strategy?

Connect with Publicis Sapient to learn how data, technology, and customer-centric design can help you minimize costs and maximize loyalty in the new era of retail. The future of holiday returns is not just about reducing losses—it’s about building lasting relationships and driving profitable growth, season after season.