Driven by globalized consumption trends, Eastern cultural elements are redefining fashion aesthetics. The cheongsam, a traditional and elegant Chinese garment, is experiencing a resurgence in the US market. Whether for Chinese New Year, weddings, or cultural festivals, more and more American consumers are choosing to wear cheongsams to showcase their unique Eastern charm. However, cross-border sellers are also facing a real problem—the return rate for cheongsam products in the US is rising year by year. How to efficiently handle returns has become crucial to seller profits and brand reputation.
The growing demand for cheongsams in the US market has led to a return problem.
According to Google Trends data, the search popularity of "Qipao" and "Cheongsam" has been on the rise globally over the past five years, with the US being one of the fastest-growing regions. A Statista report indicates that the US apparel e-commerce market is expected to exceed $118 billion by 2025, with particularly significant growth in clothing featuring Asian cultural elements. As a representative garment of Chinese culture, the cheongsam has gradually shifted from being exclusively for festivals to becoming a trendy choice for young people's everyday wear.
However, cheongsams are garments with strong shape and size requirements. Factors such as size discrepancies, material feel not matching the photos, and ill-fitting garments after trying them on can easily lead to returns. According to data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the overall return rate for e-commerce in the US in 2023 was approximately 16.5%, while the rate for clothing was as high as 26%. For cross-border sellers, without reliable local return processing channels, the resulting warehousing backlog and logistics costs often erode profits.
Challenges of Cheongsam Returns: High Quality Inspection Requirements, Low Resale Rate
Compared to ordinary clothing, handling returns for cheongsams is more complex. Their fabrics are mostly silk, satin, and lace, requiring high standards for quality inspection and storage conditions. Even slight carelessness can cause wrinkles, color differences, or damage. At the same time, the unique shape of the cheongsam makes size deviations difficult to adjust, resulting in some returned items being unsellable.
Therefore, to reduce losses, cross-border sellers need more than just a well-established return warehouse system; they also require professional teams for meticulous quality inspection, ironing, and repackaging to restore the goods to their original display condition for relisting or resale.
U-Speed US return warehouse: The Ideal Solution for Cheongsam Returns
Addressing the pain points of apparel sellers' returns, U-Speed, leveraging its years of experience in cross-border reverse logistics, has established a return warehouse network covering both the East and West coasts of the United States, providing Chinese sellers with a professional and efficient solution for cheongsam returns.
The U-Speed East Coast (New Jersey) return warehouse has a total area of 7,250 square meters and can handle over 20,000 returns per day; the U-Speed 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.
Both warehouses are equipped with forklifts, light and heavy-duty shelving, fire monitoring, and a 24-hour security system to ensure that goods undergo quality inspection and storage in a safe and temperature-controlled environment.
Professional Team + Efficient Quality Inspection Makes Cheongsam Returns Easier
U-Speed's return team in the US is led by local Chinese employees who are familiar with the craftsmanship and fabric characteristics of clothing. They can conduct specialized inspections for cheongsams, including:
Visual inspection (wrinkles, damage, stains, etc.);
Verification of fit and size;
Re-ironing, folding, and packaging;
Photo documentation, allowing sellers to remotely monitor the product status in the system.
The entire quality inspection process takes only 2 days, and the return logistics time is 3-5 days, helping sellers restore inventory turnover faster and at a lower cost.
Supports diverse return operations including relisting, relabeling, and returns to China.
For high-value garments like cheongsams, U-Speed offers flexible return processing options:
Relisting: After passing quality inspection, items can be repackaged and relabeled for direct resale locally.
Return to China: For unsellable goods, U-Speed provides logistics channels for return to Hong Kong, minimizing seller losses.
Local destruction or clearance sales: Products that cannot be reused can be destroyed locally or cleared out at low prices.
This flexible operating system allows sellers to freely choose the most suitable return processing solution based on the category and value of the cheongsams.
Creating a closed loop for cross-border apparel returns, supporting sustainable brand development.
In addition to cheongsams, U-Speed's US return warehouse also supports return inspection, refurbishment, and resale services for various clothing, bags, shoes, and other items. It provides a full-chain logistics solution encompassing first-leg shipping, warehousing, drop shipping, and returns, helping sellers achieve efficient coordination of forward and reverse logistics.
Through a digital management system, sellers can view the return status, quality inspection results, and inventory of each cheongsam in real time. The entire return process is visualized, greatly reducing communication and management costs.
On the global fashion stage, the cheongsam is attracting more and more American consumers with its unique oriental charm. In the actual operation of cross-border e-commerce, an efficient return system is the foundation for sustainable brand development. U-Speed's US return warehouse, with its professional team, comprehensive facilities, and high-standard quality inspection capabilities, provides sellers of high-end apparel such as cheongsams with a full-process service from return receipt to relisting, ensuring that every returned item can regain its value.
