According to a holiday survey commissioned by FedEx, more than a third of Americans will return gifts after the holidays.
The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. residents found that while 36 percent expect to return gifts this season, more than half (57 percent) prefer to do so by shipping them back to the retailer, a continuation of the online shopping trend that drove record-breaking volume in the FedEx Ground network between Thanksgiving and Christmas. FedEx sees the signs of that continuing preference in the days following Christmas, as returns to online retailers sent via the FedEx Ground network surge more than 25 percent.
“Americans are increasingly streamlining their seasonal checklists thanks to the convenience of online shopping, a pattern that is now extending to the post-Christmas tradition of holiday returns,” said T. Michael Glenn, executive vice president of Market Development at FedEx.
More than two-fifths of online shoppers (43 percent) report being more likely to purchase something online when free return shipping is available.
