Four Trends Reshaping Returns

The growing importance of marketplaces, sustainability and recommerce will drive four key trends in customer returns in 2026, according to new data from logistics and returns experts.

Advanced Supply Chain and ReBound by Reconomy surveyed 900 retail supply chain decision makers* to find out what will influence customer returns processing and management next year. The research identified four trends:

1) Making returns customer centric. Supply chain professionals (22%) ranked improvements in customer service as their top returns priority for 2026. Goals include making returns faster (19%), reducing the costs of returns for shoppers (17%) and shortening lead times for customer refunds (16%).

2) Streamlining salvaging. Retailers and brands want to increase the salvage rates (19%) of goods being sent back. A third of businesses (33%) 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% referenced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes as a key driver for optimising returns processing and strengthening salvage rates, while 27% are prioritising recommerce as part of their 2026 returns strategies. 32% are focusing on improving the rerouting of ‘beyond-repair’ returns to recycling.

3) Localising returns. The growing…