In China's cross-border e-commerce industrial clusters, Shantou, Guangdong, has always held a special position. Leveraging the mature lingerie manufacturing base in Chaonan and Chaoyang areas, Shantou has attracted a large number of bra, panty, shapewear, and loungewear companies. Its supply chain is responsive and its styles are frequently updated, allowing many factories and trading sellers to directly sell to the US market through cross-border e-commerce.

Public information shows that Shantou's lingerie products have long been exported to Europe and the US, making it one of the most important lingerie and loungewear industrial clusters in China. In recent years, with platforms like Amazon, Temu, and TikTok Shop continuously increasing their investment in apparel, many Shantou sellers have gradually secured stable orders in the US market, with both the number of SKUs and the scale of shipments increasing simultaneously.

However, as businesses truly enter a normalized operational phase, one problem becomes increasingly apparent—US returns are becoming an unavoidable issue.

The Reality of US Returns Faced by Cross-Border Lingerie Sellers

Looking at the overall US e-commerce market, the return rate for apparel is already higher than for most other categories. According to publicly available research from the NRF (National Retail Federation) and Statista, apparel consistently accounts for a high proportion of e-commerce returns, with underwear experiencing even more concentrated returns due to factors such as size and fit.

In the actual operations of cross-border underwear sellers in Shantou, return issues often manifest in several ways:

First, size and comfort differences. Even with clear labeling on the product details page, American consumers may still choose to return items after trying them on due to unsuitability—a common occurrence in the underwear category.

Second, high return processing costs. Underwear products generally have low unit prices; once returned to China, international shipping and customs clearance fees often exceed the value of the goods themselves, making further returns impractical.

Third, resaleable goods are wasted. Many returns are simply due to incorrect sizing or opened packaging, with no obvious problems with the products themselves. However, without local quality inspection and sorting capabilities in the US, this inventory is easily discarded.

This has led more and more Shantou sellers to consider a more practical question: can returns be processed more meticulously in the US? Why is the "can it be relisted" status so crucial for lingerie returns?

For cross-border lingerie sellers, returns don't necessarily mean scrap. In practice, many returned items are simply unworn or unsuitable after trying them on. With proper inspection, they can still be resold.

The key lies in two points: first, whether standardized return inspection and grading can be completed in the US; and second, whether the processing speed is fast enough to avoid inventory backlog affecting sales.

If returned goods can be inspected locally in the US and assessed for eligibility for relisting on the platform, combined with subsequent shipping arrangements, overall return losses can often be significantly reduced. This is precisely the significance of professional US return warehouses.

Are there US return warehouses that support the relisting of lingerie?

From a market perspective, some US return warehouses do have the capability for return inspection and grading. U-Speed US return warehouse is one solution used by many cross-border sellers.

U-Speed currently operates two major return warehouses in the US: one in the East Coast (New Jersey) and the other in the West Coast (Los Angeles), covering the return needs of major cross-border platforms:

U-Speed East Coast (New Jersey) Return Warehouse: Approximately 7,250 square meters, with a daily return processing capacity of over 20,000 orders.

U-Speed West Coast (Los Angeles) Return Warehouse: Also 7,250 square meters, with a daily processing capacity of over 10,000 orders.

Both warehouses are equipped with forklifts, light and heavy-duty shelving, fire monitoring facilities, and 24-hour security and CCTV systems, providing a relatively stable and safe processing environment for returned goods.

How do U-Speed's US return warehouses help lingerie sellers reduce return losses?

In terms of service, U-Speed's US return business leans towards standardization and stability.

On the one hand, the return business management team in China manages the entire process, while the local Chinese team in the US handles the actual operations and coordinates with a professional customer service team for communication and feedback, minimizing cross-border information discrepancies.

On the other hand, in terms of timeliness, U-Speed's US return quality inspection is typically completed within 2 days, with return logistics taking approximately 3-5 days. Sellers can quickly assess the condition of their goods and decide whether to relist them or take other actions.

Furthermore, in addition to return services, U-Speed also provides related services for forward logistics in the US, covering first-leg shipping, warehousing, and drop shipping, helping sellers establish relatively complete logistics and warehousing coordination in the US market.

For cross-border lingerie sellers in Shantou, Guangdong, US returns are no longer an occasional issue but a necessary part of planned operations. The ability to complete standardized quality inspection, reasonable distribution, and efficient processing locally in the US directly impacts return costs and overall profit margins.

Given that high return rates are difficult to avoid, leveraging professional US return warehouses to transform returns from "passive losses" into a "controllable process" is becoming a realistic choice for more and more sellers in Shantou.