On today's episode, we discuss the most important trends shaping the future of shopping, whether gifting experiences can catch up with physical goods, the best return policies, the "empty promise" of instant delivery, Taco Bell's subscription service, an unpopular opinion about Netflix prices, who invented Monopoly, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst Suzy Davidkhanian, director of forecasting Oscar Orozco, and director of reports editing at Insider Intelligence Rahul Chadha.

Its socially distanced business model and generous return policy led sales to soar by 128.0% that year. The global chip shortage has further fueled demand for its inventory of used cars. It’s this little surprise that Carvana will corner 22.2% of the US auto and parts ecommerce market this year. More like this:. Report: Global Ecommerce Forecast 2022.

More retailers are prolonging their return policies and encouraging consumers to continue sheltering in place and practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

The letter accused the company of devaluing worker flexibility and creating a policy “driven by fear” of losing control over the workforce. 76% of Apple workers said they’re dissatisfied with the return-to-work policy, according to an April survey conducted by Blind, per Fortune. Fifty-six percent said they’re thinking about leaving the company because of it.

Buyer's remorse intensified in 2021 as ecommerce adoption rose: High return rates are cutting into retailers’ margins and increasing inventory pressure.

As companies like Twitter and Microsoft announce long-term remote work policies, business leaders are grappling with what their return-to-office plan may look like.

Sixty-day product returns could encourage customers to put more purchases on their cards. Widely divergent return policies cause headaches for consumers and retailers alike, and close to one-third of respondents said they consider this feature “extremely valuable,” though only one card offers it. Extending warranties could encourage cardholder spending while delivering added peace of mind.

Allow for seamless cross-channel returns: Credits for returns of brick-and-mortar purchases should be made available for subsequent online purchases, and vice versa. Make returns policies more flexible with the understanding that most customers expect free returns.

Just 2% of respondents said their employer expected them to return by summer of 2021, while over a quarter said their employer had not announced a date for their return. Voice of the employee data will be critical in designing a return-to-office strategy. It’s imperative for companies to understand how their employees are feeling about returning to the workplace.

Digital retailers bristle at the mere mention of the term “serial returner.” Many have put policies in place to block this apparent scourge. But there’s a difference between someone who consciously games the digital retailing system for their own insidious gain and a strong brand advocate who just wants to try multiple items and buy.

She told Insider Intelligence, “I would love to see a world where the return policy doesn’t exist anymore as it stands.” Companies already override policies with exceptions for high-value customers or for extenuating circumstances. Predictive analytics and retail return scoring could automate dynamic decisions about individual return transactions in real time.