US fashion ecommerce is maturing just as AI, social commerce, and resale gain traction. Slower growth and costly returns are raising the stakes, reshaping how consumers discover, decide, and buy.

Retailers find stricter return policies risk alienating shoppers and fueling dishonest behavior.

Blue Yonder has acquired Optoro to expand its footprint in returns management, covering everything from in-store and warehouse processes to recommerce and resale. Returns are projected to hit $685.9 billion in 2024, nearly 13% of US retail sales, with fraud and behaviors like bracketing and wardrobing compounding losses. Optoro brings warehouse-focused workflows, while Blue Yonder has built consumer-facing tools through prior acquisitions like Doddle. Together, they now cover the entire returns cycle. By reframing returns as recoverable assets, Blue Yonder aims to help retailers cut waste, boost profitability, and position itself as a leader in returns technology.

The gap between retail’s most and least digitized categories will grow even wider.

The insight: Retailers’ return strategies play a crucial role in managing the impact of tariffs. Efficient reverse logistics processes can help maximize companies’ existing inventory and reduce buying costs—vital savings at a time when every overseas order carries a minimum duty of 10%. Our take: With tariffs looming large, retailers need to maximize the efficiency of their reverse logistics operations. Being able to restock returned merchandise faster will help mitigate some inventory pressures—although companies need to make sure that they have rigorous processes to prevent items in poor condition from making their way to customers and damaging their brand reputations.

Retailers and brands are racing to deploy AI across the shopping journey, but trust, quality, and execution will define who wins.

Gen Zers are most likely to experience a problem with the payment method. These concerns could weaken BNPL transaction growth

New tariffs will create ripple effects across retail—and returns will be no exception. With US retail returns predicted to exceed $1 trillion this year, according to a December 2024 EMARKETER forecast, the pressure is on retailers to adapt.

Retail ended 2024 on a high note as mobile shopping drove ecommerce sales and stores staged a comeback. Will the 2025 holiday season be as fruitful?

Returns will pass the trillion dollar mark this year, with US ecommerce returns growth outpacing sales growth, per our forecast. “It’s important for retailers and brands to look at their returns, because those ultimately eat into their margins,” said our analyst Sky Canaves.

Online returns growth will outpace overall ecommerce growth through 2028, driving retailers to update their strategies and solutions to manage costs.

In January, the most interesting retailers capitalized on New Year’s trends like resolutions, lower-alcohol consumption, and an influx of holiday returns. Poshmark and Sephora introduced new partnerships, while Amazon and Temu increased their own retail media-related offerings. Here are the eight most significant retail developments of January 2024, ranked by their potential market impact.

60% of US retail professionals say charging customers for returns has resulted in an increase of adoption in their free return methods, while 54% say it has cut down on return rates, according to a September 2024 survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Happy Returns.

With the holiday season in the rearview mirror, our analysts are already looking ahead to what the rest of this year—including the 2025 holiday season—will look like. This year will be defined by unpredictability, as President Trump begins his second term during a time of mixed consumer sentiments. Here are four trends our analysts expect will continue in 2025.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how the election influenced consumers' shopping habits, why returns spiked, and some way too early predictions for the 2025 holiday season. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff.

Over half of retailer executives say that they implemented a return fee to discourage customers from initiating returns, according to October 2024 data from Optoro. Thirty-nine percent of executives said they launched a fee to discourage excessive or abusive returns, while 20% said it is to make it difficult or discourage customers from returning products.

Offering a seamless returns process can help merchants win repeat shoppers.

Retailers are prioritizing unified commerce solutions to help gain a complete picture of their business operations—including consumer behavior. As the tech landscape becomes more complex, key players are emerging across channels.

Retailers can distinguish their brands via the post-purchase experience: A handwritten note, branded packaging, or free gifts with an order are more likely to inspire repeat purchases.