In recent years, Anqing, Anhui Province, has been attracting increasing attention from cross-border sellers in China's down jacket industry cluster. Compared to traditional garment production areas, Anqing has developed a relatively concentrated supply capacity in down jacket processing and garment manufacturing. Many sellers have begun selling down jackets directly to the US market through channels such as Amazon and independent websites. However, with the increase in shipments, a practical problem has gradually emerged—how to handle returns of down jackets from the US market more effectively?
Anqing's cross-border e-commerce is developing steadily, with down jackets becoming one of its featured categories.
Public information shows that Anhui has been continuously promoting the integration of cross-border e-commerce with local industries in recent years. According to the Anhui Provincial Department of Commerce and local public data, Anqing has a relatively complete processing base in the textile and garment sector, with down jackets and related garment products forming a certain scale within the region and gradually reaching overseas markets through cross-border e-commerce.
Down jackets have obvious seasonality and low average order value advantages, making them suitable for concentrated sales during the autumn and winter peak season. This is an important reason why Anqing sellers choose this category for overseas expansion. However, compared to ordinary clothing, handling returns for down jackets is significantly more complex.
The core issues surrounding down jacket returns in the US: volume, season, and condition
From the US consumer perspective, apparel remains one of the categories with the highest return rates. According to the NRF (National Retail Federation) retail returns report, the overall return rate for apparel has consistently remained high, with incorrect sizing and dissatisfaction after trying on clothes being common reasons.
For sellers in Anqing, down jacket returns often present several pain points: their large size and high loft result in significantly higher return shipping costs than ordinary clothing; their strong seasonality means that once the sales window is missed, inventory pressure increases rapidly; and it's difficult to determine whether they affect resale value, requiring confirmation of signs of wear, odors, or appearance issues.
Simply abandoning the items results in high losses per piece; returning them all to China incurs additional international shipping costs and time costs, which is not good for cash flow.
Whether a down jacket can be resold depends on the thoroughness of the return processing.
Many Anqing sellers have found in practice that not all down jackets returned from the US have to be scrapped. In cases where the goods are not visibly worn, undamaged, or have a strong odor, they may still be resold after proper quality inspection and simple handling.
However, this requires the return warehouse to possess: basic quality inspection capabilities for apparel; operational conditions for simple cleaning and handling; stable manpower; and a clear processing timeline. This is why more and more sellers are choosing professional return warehouses in the US rather than temporarily using overseas warehouses for "makeshift" processing.
A common choice for down jacket sellers in Anqing: Local US return processing
In current cross-border e-commerce practice, leaving returned goods in the US for unpacking, quality inspection, and sorting has become the mainstream practice for many down jacket sellers. Local processing allows sellers to quickly determine the destination of the goods—whether to restock or handle them in other ways—thus reducing overall losses. In this model, warehouse conditions and team stability are particularly important.
U-Speed's US Returns Warehouse: Ideal for Down Jacket Returns
In terms of warehouse conditions and service capabilities, U-Speed's US returns warehouse is more feasible for handling bulky apparel items like down jackets that require sorting.
Dual Warehouses in the East and West Coasts Covering Major Consumer Areas
U-Speed has two warehouses in the US: an East Coast (New Jersey) returns warehouse with an area of approximately 7,250 square meters and a daily returns processing capacity of 20,000+; and a West Coast (Los Angeles) returns warehouse with an area of 7,250 square meters and a daily processing capacity of 10,000+. This dual-warehouse layout helps cover major US apparel consumer markets and reduces the additional costs associated with cross-regional transshipment.
Comprehensive Warehouse Conditions and Security Facilities
Both warehouses are equipped with forklifts, light and heavy-duty shelving, fire monitoring systems, and 24-hour security and CCTV. In terms of space and security, they are better suited for handling bulky items like down jackets.
A Returns Processing Model More Tailored to Seller Needs
In terms of service model, U-Speed employs a approach where a Chinese returns management team leads the effort, while a local Chinese team in the US handles the operations. This ensures smoother communication and clearer processing standards. Regarding timeliness, US returns undergo quality inspection typically within 2 days, with subsequent logistics taking approximately 3-5 days, allowing sellers to make inventory decisions quickly.
For large down jacket sellers, U-Speed also offers customized returns processing services such as lint removal, basic cleaning, ironing, and odor removal, helping eligible returned goods re-enter the sales process and improving overall utilization.
For cross-border down jacket sellers in Anqing, Anhui, US returns are not an isolated issue but a long-term challenge closely related to the product category. In the highly seasonal and bulky down jacket market, the ability to screen and restock through professional returns warehouses often directly determines whether returns are sunk costs or manageable losses.
Planning returns processing in advance is a crucial element for the long-term success of a cross-border down jacket business.
