The holidays are over and chances are you’re now one of the millions of people stuck with unwanted gifts that they’ll have to return. In an ideal world, everyone would get the perfect gift, and there would be no returns. GyftHint tries to make this a reality. Where buying off of their digital wishlists returns are less than 1% of all purchases. 

The way things are now, the millions of returns are wreaking havoc on the environment.

What is National Returns Day?

Did you know that January 6th is National Returns Day due to the sheer volume of returns people make after the holidays? It’s estimated that over half of consumers will end up returning their presents.

This holiday season, online shopping became more popular than ever because of the pandemic, as shoppers tried to avoid visiting malls or stores. The problem with online shopping is that you don’t always get to see the product details, nor do you get to try it on, which means that the chance of you returning it increases. Returns increase exponentially when the online shopping is for someone other than yourself.

Environmental Consequences

Making returns is easier than ever now that so many companies are offering free returns. In addition, stores tend to have longer deadlines for when you need to make returns, so it’s never an issue.

Receiving a gift that you didn’t like is only exasperated by the return process and the negative impact your return has on the environment. Returns cause carbon dioxide emissions to be released into the atmosphere from planes, trucks, and trains that are returning the products to the retailer. Hauling around returned inventory in the US creates over 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, Optoro, a company that helps retailers like Ikea streamline their returns processes*.

And most of the time, the products end up in landfills because they can’t be resold, particularly if they were cosmetics or skincare products. Five billion pounds of returned goods end up in US landfills each year*.

The Solution

Many retailers have become more aware of the impact of returns on the environment.  Consequently, they are considering zero-emission delivery options, including more details in the description of the item on their e-commerce site or working with third-party delivery companies to use localized return centers that accept items from several retailers.   

When it comes to gift returns, luckily, there is a rather simple solution: using a digital wishlist. 

That’s right: making lists of everything you want can drastically reduce the number of returns made every year around the holidays (or any other occasion), thus decreasing a lot of the burden on shipping companies and stores. More importantly, wishlists decrease the negative impact returns have on the environment. 

GyftHint is one of the most popular online wishlists. The difference between GyftHint and other digital wishlists is that you will be able to compile products from all different websites into one location, making it easier for people to see what you want. The process is streamlined so that people can make purchases right from your wishlist and have it sent right to your home. In addition, the wishlist can be shared among friends and family members. It’s the perfect way to learn what your friends and loved ones want – and let them know what you want.

 

 

The best part about GyftHint is that it provides a great solution to both retailers and the environment by significantly reducing returns. Less than 1% of GyftHint purchases have been returned because people always get exactly what they want. It can also be used for any other occasion in which you exchange gifts, including Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. Simply share the wishlist with your friends and family, and they will get a notification as the occasion is coming up to make sure that they get you a gift on time. 

Overall, buying presents for people while being socially responsible doesn’t have to be stressful. Creating wishlists using sites like GyftHint is the easiest way to prevent getting presents that people don’t like and being forced to contribute to the environmental problem caused by returns. It’s an easy solution that will benefit everyone.

Download GyftHint now and enjoy safe holiday shopping.

 

 

*Source: Justine Calma,The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/26/21031855/free-returns-environmental-cost-holiday-online-shopping-amazon