In recent years, Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, has become increasingly prominent in the cross-border e-commerce sector. Leveraging its mature luggage industry, Pinghu has gradually formed a cross-border export structure primarily focused on suitcases, rolling suitcases, and business bags. Many factory-based and brand sellers have sold their products to the North American market through platforms such as Amazon, Temu, and TikTok Shop.

However, as order volumes expand, many Pinghu sellers are also discovering a real problem: returns from the US are becoming the most costly aspect of their cross-border luggage business. Returns are possible, but handling them poorly is problematic; not returning them negatively impacts accounts and conversion rates—this is the dilemma many sellers currently face.

The Reality of Pinghu's Luggage Cross-Border Exports

From an industry perspective, Pinghu is one of China's important production bases for travel luggage, covering multiple subcategories such as hard-shell, soft-sided, and fabric cases. Its complete supply chain and stable delivery times make it highly suitable for cross-border e-commerce.

According to publicly available industry reports, the US remains one of the world's largest consumer markets for luggage. With the recovery of travel, demand for travel luggage continues to rebound, providing Chinese sellers with a stable export market.

However, the luggage category itself has distinct characteristics: high average order value, large size, and high return costs. Improper return handling can easily turn a potentially profitable order into a loss-making one.

Common Pain Points for Cross-Border Luggage Sellers Regarding US Returns

Many sellers in Pinghu encounter similar problems in their actual operations:

First, high return logistics costs. Luggage is large and heavy; returning it from the US to China often incurs shipping costs exceeding the product's value, making it impractical in most cases.

Second, limited processing authority when returning to platform warehouses. Some platforms only allow returns to designated warehouses, preventing sellers from conducting their own quality inspection, repairs, or repackaging. Sellers are often forced to accept destruction or low-price disposal.

Third, even minor issues are treated with a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Many luggage returns involve only minor issues like worn outer boxes, damaged labels, or loose handles, but without local quality inspection and processing capabilities, resale becomes difficult.

Fourth, slow return processing hinders inventory turnover. Prolonged backlog of returns not only impacts cash flow but also risks missing peak season opportunities, placing significant pressure on cross-border sellers whose core business revolves around efficient inventory turnover.

These combined issues directly affect profit structures and may even influence a seller's willingness to continue increasing investment in the US market.

Local US return warehouses are becoming a practical solution for bag sellers.

Against this backdrop, an increasing number of cross-border bag sellers in Pinghu are choosing local US return warehouses as their return solution. The core logic is clear: returns are processed locally, and items that can be relisted are relisted whenever possible.

A professional US return warehouse typically needs several key capabilities:

Fast processing of returned goods upon receipt and quality inspection

The ability to categorize bag products (sellable/refurbishable/unsellable)

Support for relabeling, repackaging, and re-warehousing

Clear timelines, rather than indefinite stockpiling

Only by meeting these conditions can returns go beyond simply "stopping losses" and offer an opportunity to minimize potential damage.

How does U-Speed's US return warehouse support the relisting of bags and luggage?

To address the return needs of cross-border bag and luggage products, U-Speed has established two return warehouses in the US, one in the East Coast and one in the West Coast, covering major sales regions and allowing sellers in Pinghu greater flexibility in inventory allocation.

The East Coast (New Jersey) return warehouse has an area of approximately 7,250 square meters and can process over 20,000 returns per day, suitable for sellers targeting the Eastern market.

The West Coast (Los Angeles) return warehouse also has an area of 7,250 square meters and a daily processing capacity of over 10,000 returns, closer to western consumer demand and platform warehousing resources.

Both warehouses maintain consistent hardware and software configurations, equipped with forklifts, light and heavy-duty shelving, fire protection and monitoring systems, and 24-hour security and CCTV surveillance to ensure the safety of large items like bags and luggage during the return process.

The Key Link from "Returned" to "Resold"

In practice, U-Speed's US return process emphasizes efficiency and controllability. After returned goods arrive at the warehouse, quality inspection is typically completed within 2 days to determine the product's condition. For bags confirmed to be resaleable, relabeling and repackaging are assisted, and the return logistics process is completed within 3-5 days, helping sellers quickly restore their inventory to a sellable state.

In terms of staffing, U-Speed employs a model of a Chinese management team plus a local Chinese-American operations team. This ensures standardized processes and reduces communication errors, providing a more stable experience for bag sellers who frequently handle return details.

More Than Just Returns, a Complete US Warehousing Solution

For many sellers in Pinghu, returns are just one link in the cross-border chain. Building on this, U-Speed also provides US cross-border logistics services including first-leg shipping, warehousing, drop shipping, and returns, helping sellers reduce the complexity of multi-party coordination and better control the pace during peak seasons or new product launches. When returns are no longer a "black hole" but a predictable and manageable part, sellers can operate more confidently in the US market.

For Pinghu cross-border sellers primarily dealing in travel bags, finding a US return warehouse that truly understands bags and can support relisting is becoming a crucial foundation for stabilizing profits and continuing overseas expansion.