As retailers complete the final wave of post-peak returns, Alexandra Romantseva from ReBound and Advanced Supply Chain by Reconomy, looks at how reverse logistics will evolve in 2026.
The beginning of the year always brings returns into sharp focus. Golden Quarter sales data is being finalised, providing retailers with a clearer view of peak trading and operational practices. This often proves a springboard for closer scrutiny of returns polices and processes, and it’s at this point when we typically see a surge in new enquiries. Retailers and brands are rethinking returns and seeking solutions for optimising reverse logistics.
Improving returns becomes integral to peak-season reviews and planning discussions for the year ahead. Questions will be asked about what can be done differently in 2026. How can returns keep pace with what shoppers want? How do retailers make returns more competitive? What else can be done to maximise the value and lifecycle of products sent back by shoppers?
This year, the answers to these questions, and more, will be shaped by the rising influence of marketplaces, sustainability and recommerce. Together, these factors are driving four key trends in returns management and processing.
1) Making returns customer centric. Supply chain professionals (22 per cent) ranked improvements in customer service as their top returns priority for 2026. Goals include making returns faster (19 per cent), reducing the costs of returns for shoppers (17 per cent) and shortening lead times for customer refunds (16 per cent).
2) Streamlining salvaging. Retailers and brands want to increase the salvage rates (19 per cent) of goods being sent back. A third of businesses (33 per cent) plan to outsource returns processing to help optimise repair and restoration process in 2026, as they aim to boost sustainability and compliance, and develop recommerce models.
18 per cent referenced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes as a key driver for optimising returns processing and strengthening salvage rates, while 27 per cent are prioritising recommerce as part of their 2026 returns strategies. 32 per cent are focusing on improving the rerouting of ‘beyond-repair’ returns to recycling.
Clearly defined salvage rates and robust quality inspections, backed up by returns management software that enables connectivity and enriches supply chain data, can minimise waste and errors. This is why there’s such a strong focus on salvaging.
3) Localising returns. The growing success of marketplace retail models is making international growth accessible and affordable for a wide range of brands. Attention is now switching to localising returns management to manage costs and reduce supply chain mileage. 35 per cent of supply chain professionals have made local returns consolidation a top-ranking priority for this year. 18 per cent are actively focusing on improving the returns management of goods sent back via marketplaces, with 16 per cent keen to enhance the visibility of customer returns.
4) Monetising returns. 2026 will see the continued trend of retailers and brands prioritising the productivity and profitability of returns processing and management. 18 per cent are adapting strategies to generate more revenue from returns, with emphasis on duty drawback from cross-border returns (20 per cent), decreasing back-to-stock time (16 per cent) and reducing losses caused by returns fraud (14 per cent).
Optimising returns, developing on-trend solutions
Growing consumer preferences for marketplaces, recommerce and sustainability can increase the complexities of goods being sent back by shoppers. There’s a risk of reverse logistics processes becoming longer and more fragmented, and this occurring at a time when legislation and consumers increasingly require supply chains to be more resourceful. Businesses are embracing this as an opportunity to rethink returns strategies.
Emphasis is being placed on treating returns as a strategic driver for supporting sales, customer satisfaction, sustainable practices and cost management. Sophisticated tech is enabling this and it’s why, for example, we see around a third of professionals (31 per cent) prioritising portals for ecommerce returns, and technical capabilities ranking highly during the outsourcing of returns.
To learn more about the trends reshaping returns and for solutions to optimise returns management and processing, contact Advanced Supply Chain and ReBound by Reconomy.
About the statistics referenced in this article. Censuswide carried out online surveys of 901 senior supply chain decisions makers working throughout the ecommerce sectors in the UK, USA, Italy, France, Germany and Spain. Research was completed in October 2025 on behalf of Advanced Supply Chain and ReBound by Reconomy.
