In the past two years, with the gradual recovery of household consumption in Europe and the United States, kitchenware has once again become a stable category in cross-border e-commerce. Among them, durable goods such as stainless steel cookware, tableware, knives, and baking tools continue to see demand on US online platforms. As one of the important stainless steel products industrial bases in China, Jieyang, Guangdong, is seeing an increasing number of kitchenware sellers selling their products to the US market. However, with the increase in orders, "how to handle returns from the US" has gradually become an unavoidable issue for many sellers.

Jieyang Cross-border E-commerce: Stainless Steel Kitchenware is a Core Advantage Category

From an industrial perspective, Jieyang's stainless steel products industry started early and has a complete supply chain, covering multiple stages such as raw materials, pressing, polishing, assembly, and packaging. Stainless steel kitchenware is one of the most representative foreign trade and cross-border categories in the region.

In recent years, driven by cross-border platforms and independent websites, many traditional factory-type sellers in Jieyang have begun to transform into cross-border e-commerce sellers, directly reaching US consumers through channels such as Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, and Temu. These products have a relatively high average order value and are relatively heavy, naturally relying more on logistics and after-sales support.

In the US market, returns of kitchenware are quite common.

Based on publicly available industry information and platform rules, US consumers have a high acceptance rate for returning kitchenware. The reasons are not complicated:

First, the product does not match expectations, such as differences in size, thickness, weight, or the product description.

Second, cosmetic defects occur during shipping, such as scratches, dents, or damaged packaging.

Third, returns are often due to subjective reasons from the consumer, which is quite common in the US e-commerce environment.

For stainless steel kitchenware sellers, these returns are often not considered "quality defects," but rather have the potential for resale. However, if returns can only be sent back to China, the time and logistics costs will be rapidly amplified, even exceeding the profit margin of the product itself.

Common Pain Points for Returns Encountered by Kitchenware Sellers in Jieyang

Many sellers in Jieyang encounter several common problems in practice:

First, the cost of returns is high. Kitchenware is mostly medium to large-sized items, and cross-border reverse logistics costs are high, making direct returns to China impractical.

Second, return processing is slow. Without a local returns warehouse, goods remain "stuck" in the platform system for extended periods, impacting inventory and listing performance.

Furthermore, there's a lack of reprocessing capabilities. Many returned items only have damaged outer packaging or minor signs of use, theoretically allowing for relisting. However, without professional personnel to inspect, sort, and repackage them, they are often passively scrapped or sold at a low price.

These problems combined directly affect sellers' cash flow and long-term business confidence.

A local returns warehouse is an unavoidable solution for kitchenware sellers.

Based on current mature practices in cross-border e-commerce, US-based returns warehouses are becoming a crucial component for kitchenware sellers. Through a returns warehouse, returned goods can be received, inspected, and categorized locally in the US: resaleable items are reorganized and relisted; items that don't meet sales criteria are centrally processed or assessed for repair.

This approach not only shortens the returns process but also gives sellers clearer control over their inventory status, avoiding situations where "goods are in transit, accounts are with the platform, and there's no clear direction."

How does U-Speed's US return warehouse support the resale of kitchenware products?

U-Speed's US return warehouse service covers two core locations: the East Coast and the West Coast.

The New Jersey return warehouse (East Coast) has an area of approximately 7,250 square meters and a daily processing capacity of 20,000+ items. The Los Angeles return warehouse (West Coast) also has an area of 7,250 square meters and a daily processing capacity of 10,000+ items.

The warehouses are equipped with forklifts, light and heavy-duty shelving, fire protection and monitoring systems, and implement 24-hour security and CCTV management, making them suitable for storing heavy and durable goods such as kitchenware.

In practice, U-Speed's US return service typically includes return receipt confirmation, visual inspection, basic quality inspection, and sorting. For stainless steel kitchenware with minor visual defects but normal functionality, repackaging can be done after confirming the condition, supporting resale and helping sellers recover as much value as possible from the goods.

Timeliness and Team Configuration: Eliminating Delayed Returns

Return efficiency is a key concern for sellers. In U-Speed's US return process, quality inspection is typically completed within 2 days, with subsequent logistics processing taking 3-5 days, minimizing transit and delays.

Regarding team configuration, the Chinese return business management team centrally manages the process, while a local Chinese team in the US handles the actual operations and collaborates with the customer service team for information feedback, reducing cross-time zone communication costs.

More Than Just Returns: Creating a Complete US Fulfillment Loop

For many established kitchenware sellers in Jieyang, returns are not an isolated process. Beyond return services, U-Speed also provides forward logistics services such as US first-leg shipping, warehousing, and dropshipping, helping sellers integrate inventory, shipping, and returns into a single system, reducing the uncertainty caused by multiple intermediaries.

When returns are processed promptly and sellable inventory is quickly returned, sellers can focus more on the product and market itself, rather than being repeatedly consumed by after-sales issues. For Jieyang stainless steel kitchenware sellers who are deeply cultivating the US market, finding a US return warehouse that supports relisting, has a clear process, and stable delivery time is changing from an "option" to a "must-have".