Returnuary: the 'other' mad dash to the shops

The idea here is to describe in a single word the rush, no longer to buy gifts, but to bring your undesired goods back to the store to return it in exchange for a return

By AFPRelaxnews

Published: Jan 4, 2025 09:55:12 AM IST

Updated: Jan 3, 2025 05:01:02 PM IST

After the holidays, there are so many returns that the phenomenon has been dubbed “Returnuary.” Image: Shutterstock

After Black Friday bargain hunting and the Christmas gift rush, consumers are once again flocking to stores to return items that don't fit their lives. It's become a mass phenomenon that has been given a catchy new moniker in the wake of all the various post-festivities trends.

After the indulgences of the festive seasons, in many circles it's become customary to adopt a “Dry January.” This means not drinking a drop of alcohol for a whole month. Since a new date on the calendar is also often associated with trying to adopt new habits, in January, you can also try a plant-based diet with “Veganuary” or even “Regenuary” to bring your plate into line with the practice of regenerative farming. In the UK in recent years, another movement promoted being more mindful of what you drink and using the quiet month of January to support independent, local beers and breweries through “Tryanuary.”

The launch of Dry January in 2013 has inspired a host of variations on the campaign—and they're not all about eating and drinking. One example is “Januhairy,” which encourages women not to wax or shave for a month. It's a feminist challenge designed to help build self-confidence and accept one's body hair, while also challenging "societal ideals" about female beauty.

In fact, the “uary” ending has been adapted to describe a host of various lifestyle phenomena and behaviors across a range of spheres. In this post-holiday season, for example, economics experts have applied it to consumer goods in general and are now talking about “Returnuary,” reports CNBC. The idea here is to describe in a single word the rush, no longer to buy gifts, but to bring your undesired goods back to the store to return it in exchange for a return. The mass flow of products back to the retailers is in no small part due to the dizzying proliferation of promotional offers created for Black Friday at the end of November prompting consumers to buy in the hopes of snagging a bargain as well as the frenzy of Christmas present shopping.

Also read: US consumers to bargain hunt in annual 'Black Friday' spree

If we look beyond the catchy name, in simple terms what we're talking about is the busiest month ever for store returns. In the United States, returns are expected to be 17% higher than usual, according to a report by the National Retail Federation. This increase in returns is the consequence of consumers buying a product in several sizes, colors or various alternatives to make sure they don't miss out on a special offer. This phenomenon is also known as “bracketing," and it has become a consumer habit with a knock-on effect on how retailers deal with returns.

In 2024, an estimated 197 million consumers snapped up Black Friday or Cyber Week bargains, either in store or online. And it's not hard to imagine that some of these purchases didn't pan out for various reasons. The returns phenomenon in the US has taken on considerable momentum. In fact, according to a report by Optoro, a logistics company that manages returns, 69% of Americans have even bought an item, used it without removing the label, and then returned it, a practice known as "wardrobing." This figure has risen by 39% over the past year.

In Europe, the phenomenon is less extreme, according to a Blue Yonder study published by LSA magazine. Sixty percent of consumers in Europe return an item once or twice a year. Only 13% do so several times a year. “We’re seeing that tighter returns policies are starting to deter consumers from making purchases, particularly among the Gen Z and Millennial generations,” explained Tim Robinson, Corporate Vice President, Blue Yonder. “Retailers have long acknowledged that they needed to tackle returns to reduce costs – the challenge now is to strike a balance between protecting their margins and maintaining a customer-friendly returns experience.” The stakes are both economic and environmental. After all, sending a parcel has a carbon footprint of between 0.59 and 0.98 CO2e. So when you send it back, the footprint doubles...