E-Commerce Returns Of Holiday Purchases Down 2.5%, Adobe Reports

Core Insights - Online returns during the first six weeks of the holiday season decreased by 2.5%, indicating a potentially positive trend for retailers [2] - E-commerce sales on U.S. retail sites increased by 6.1% as of December 12, following a strong start to the season [3] - Consumers are becoming more strategic and informed in their purchasing decisions, aided by AI tools, leading to lower return rates compared to previous years [4][5] E-commerce Trends - AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites surged by 760% in November year-over-year, with shoppers using AI tools primarily for categories like video games, appliances, and electronics [5] - Despite 52.4% of online spending occurring on mobile devices, only 39.1% of returns were processed via mobile, indicating a preference for desktop returns [6] Future Expectations - The last week of December is anticipated to be the busiest for returns, with historical data showing that one out of every eight returns occurs between December 26 and December 31 [7] - Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) plans accounted for $13.9 billion in online spending during the first six weeks of the holiday season, reflecting a 6% increase from the previous year [8] - Adobe forecasts U.S. e-commerce sales for November and December to reach $253.4 billion, representing a 5.3% increase over the 2024 holiday season [8]