I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Most-returned Holiday Gifts

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s the last Friday of 2023, and a relatively quiet news week here for the industry. Most of our staff has been spending time with family and friends. Still, the news never sleeps, and I encourage you to revisit our websites and see what’s been happening. What I see as the biggest news of the past week: a $46 million award to GreenSource Fabrication from the Department of Defense to encourage onshoring.

Now, we all appreciate great gifts, but sometimes they just aren’t what we need—or want. So, in keeping with the holiday spirit, here are the top five most returned gifts. Don’t feel bad if something you received isn’t what you wanted. You’ll know you’re in good company. (Much thanks to Bestlife Online for my research findings.)

1. Clothes
Multiple sources suggest that over half of all gift returns are clothing and shoes. No surprise, really. Between colors, sizes, brand preferences, and personal style, it’s a challenge as a gift giver to hit all the marks.

2. Men's Dress Shirts
In general, clothes top the list of returned items, but men’s shirts create such a statistical spike that they stand alone at No. 2. BestLife suggests that the probable cause is getting the wrong size. It stands to reason, though. Arm length and collar size are not the easiest to get exactly right. Of course, with the rise of work-from-home, dress shirts play a less important role in a working man’s daily routine. I’d be inclined to swap the shirt for some new gym gear, but that’s just me.

3. Shoes
I get this. It’s hard enough to buy shoes for ourselves without trying them on first. Add to that the indirections of buying for someone else’s feet and taste, and potentially using online retail to make your purchases. Unless your gift recipient has made a specific request, you run the risk of stepping in it.

4. Makeup
Okay, this makes sense to me as well. When we’re talking about enhancing our appearance in this way, it’s such a personal choice. As an example, Sephora says their most returned products are foundations and primers. Unless you’re buying more of what your recipient already uses, BestLife suggests sticking to the tools, like brushes and organization if you don’t want the items to be returned.

5. Athletic Apparel
Wait a minute, active gear is one of my preferred gift items. In fact, I’d be most likely to trade in dress shirts for gym gear. But there’s the rub; I’d be choosing my own gear in that situation. Basically, workout clothes are just that—clothes, and shoes. So, back to the top of the list.

There you have it: Five gift categories to steer clear of. Be careful, though, that’s not the whole list. The next five categories tend to include kitchen appliances, glassware, video games, home décor, and tools. It seems there is no category safe for gift giving. It all boils down to knowing your audience, being thoughtful, and of course, always getting a gift receipt.

Regardless of your gift-giving abilities, I wish you all a safe ending to 2023 and I look forward to some great content in the "news year." Many happy returns!