From the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, the pressure of returns for global e-commerce after the holiday season will be amplified again. The latest industry data shows that the total value of global e-commerce returns during this period has reached $181 billion, accounting for approximately 14% of total online consumption during the same period. In the first two weeks of January 2026 alone, the global online order return rate reached 12.2%, a year-on-year increase of 3%, and January has once again become the period with the most concentrated returns throughout the year.
For cross-border sellers, this is no longer just a "normal fluctuation after the peak season," but a long-term and structured operational challenge. Especially in the US market, returns not only mean a refund, but also a series of hidden costs such as logistics, warehousing, labor, and product damage.
The reasons for returns are changing, with high-return categories such as apparel facing particularly significant pressure.
From the perspective of return structure, the problem is becoming increasingly complex. Data shows that "products are significantly different from their descriptions" has become the leading reason for returns, accounting for 48% in 2025, and rising to 63% by January 2026. Meanwhile, fraudulent and abusive returns are also on the rise, accounting for 12% of all returns in 2025. This includes returns of empty boxes and multiple items tried on and returned in bulk.
Consumer surveys confirm this trend: 61% of returns are related to size or fit, 33% are due to discrepancies between the product and its online description, and 41% of consumers explicitly stated that a favorable return policy directly influences their ordering decisions. For high-return-rate categories like apparel and footwear, returns have shifted from an after-sales issue to a primary factor influencing conversion and repurchase rates.
Faced with high return rates, cross-border sellers need a "controllable return management system."
In this context, simply relying on platform returns or having goods returned domestically is no longer sufficient to meet both cost and efficiency requirements. More and more experienced sellers are re-evaluating the return process, shifting their focus from "whether to return" to "how to handle returned items."
For cross-border sellers, return management needs to address at least three core issues: First, can returns be received and inspected quickly to avoid prolonged inventory buildup? Second, are the products ready for resale—which can be relisted, and which require repair or return? Third, is the overall return process stable enough to avoid communication and time costs associated with multiple intermediaries? This is the real value of US-based return warehouses.
US-based return warehouses are becoming a crucial element in cost reduction for sellers.
By handling return receipts, inspections, and subsequent processing within the US, sellers can significantly shorten return cycles, reduce cross-border reverse logistics costs, and gain a clearer understanding of product status. This model is particularly suitable for sellers with high return volumes, numerous SKUs, high average order values, or high inventory turnover requirements.
In practice, the processing capacity, staffing, and process stability of the return warehouse directly determine whether returns are truly "controllable." This is also the most important factor for many sellers when choosing a US return warehouse service.
U-Speed US Returns Warehouses: Covering East and West Coasts, Handling Peak Return Pressure
To meet the return demand in the US market, U-Speed has established local return warehouses in both the East and West coasts. The New Jersey return warehouse in the East Coast has a total area of 7,250 square meters and can handle over 20,000 returns per day; the Los Angeles return warehouse in the West Coast also has 7,250 square meters and a daily processing capacity of over 10,000, covering the return needs of sellers in different regions.
In terms of warehouse configuration, both return warehouses are equipped with forklifts, light and heavy-duty shelving, fire protection and monitoring systems, and employ 24-hour security and CCTV systems to ensure the safety of returned goods at both the hardware and management levels, providing a stable environment for subsequent quality inspection and processing.
From quality inspection to restocking, returns are no longer just a "cost item"
In terms of specific services, U-Speed US return warehouses emphasize return processing efficiency and visibility. Returned goods inspection is completed within 2 days, with subsequent return logistics taking 3-5 days, helping sellers make decisions quickly. Three real-life inspection photos of each returned item are uploaded to the system, allowing sellers to remotely assess the product's condition and reduce information asymmetry.
For goods suitable for resale, the warehouse can also provide repackaging services to meet the requirements for restocking or reshipping, thereby improving the overall utilization rate of returned goods and reducing actual losses due to returns.
A closed loop is formed, eliminating fragmented return management.
Beyond returns, U-Speed offers customized US cross-border logistics solutions combining warehousing, dropshipping, and returns, integrating forward and reverse processes into a single system, reducing the cost of sellers repeatedly interacting with multiple service providers. The return business management team in China coordinates, the local Chinese team in the US handles the implementation, and a professional customer service team ensures a stable and controllable return processing process.
With the ever-expanding scale of returns, return management is no longer a passive issue but a crucial link directly impacting profit structure. For cross-border sellers, finding a reliable U.S. return warehouse partner is becoming a key option for dealing with high return rates.
