Apparently, we Americans are getting better and better at returning stuff _ especially stuff we bought on Black Friday but now, for one reason or another, don't want anymore.
There's even terminology for the growing phenomenon: "National Returns Day" is what UPS calls that one day of the year when more packages are returned than on any other day. UPS even provides what it calls "a portfolio of technology-driven returns services."
Wednesday is the day when that portfolio really kicks into gear, as millions of Black Friday purchases go back to where they came from.
Welcome to National Returns Day 2018.
Here's a by-the-numbers look at what's going on, with data from UPS and their colleagues over at FleishmanHillard, the global PR and digital marketing agency:
1.5 million: Number of packages UPS will return Wednesday, the highest number of 2018
1.3 million: Number of packages expected to be returned Jan. 3, 2019, a time that in years past saw the highest volume
1.3 million: Number of packages UPS returned Jan. 5, 2017
800 million: Total packages, including those returns, that UPS anticipates delivering this holiday season
75: Percentage of consumers who have shipped returns back to a retailer
79: Percentage of e-commerce shoppers surveyed who said free shipping on returns was important when selecting an online retailer
44: Percentage of those shoppers who said the top issue encountered when returning an item online was paying for return shipping
97: Percentage of consumers who said they'd be more likely to buy something again from a retailer with which they had a positive returns experience
89: Percentage of customers who said they would not shop again at a retailer or brand with which they had a negative returns experience
220: Number of countries and territories that UPS operates in today
