Black Friday: peak returns challenges reverse logistics in e-commerce

Like every November, Black Friday, scheduled for the 29th this year, is eagerly awaited by e-commerce customers and businesses in Brazil. Projections from Confi.Neotrust indicate that, during the days leading up to and following the period, the sector's revenue will be R$9.3 billion, a 9.11% increase compared to 2023. However, a higher volume of sales brings with it a challenge: the increase in returns.

Research by Ebit Nielsen, which monitors the sector, indicates that requests for returns or exchanges of products occur in about 30% of online purchases. This rate tends to increase during Black Friday due to the high volume of sales, which requires brands to pay extra attention to efficiently manage reverse logistics and ensure consumer satisfaction.

According to Carlos Tanaka, CEO of the PostalGow, Black Friday is a critical moment for e-commerce in terms of logistics, in general, and efficient reverse logistics becomes indispensable to maintain consumer confidence and ensure a satisfactory shopping experience, even in the face of a return. "A coordinated team equipped with a robust platform that assists in this process allows companies to manage returns quickly and standardized, reducing costs and improving the customer experience," says.

Efficiency and sustainability in management 

Reverse logistics platforms offer integration with ERP systems, allowing companies to track, in real time, each stage of the return process, from the issuance of the order to the processing at Distribution Centers. The automation of these processes and the standardization of the treatment of returned products contribute to optimizing operations, reducing errors and costs, and improving the consumer experience. "The DevolvaFácil platform, for example, integrates standardized technologies and practices that help to meet the challenges of peak periods, ensuring both customer satisfaction and the sustainability of commercial operations," explains Tanaka. 

During Black Friday, when returns reach critical levels, these platforms play a fundamental role in managing the surge in demand. With this support, companies can monitor each step and quickly adjust their operations to handle the high volume of returned products. The adoption of a system that centralizes and standardizes the handling of returns allows Distribution Centers to maintain control over inventory and reduce losses, something that is increasingly important in e-commerce. 

With the approach of Black Friday, it is essential for digital commerce networks to invest in solutions that ensure efficiency in reverse logistics. The increase in returns demands agile and well-structured processes, which ensure that each returned product is handled quickly and accurately. "This not only strengthens the company's image with its consumers, but also drives a sustainable and financially efficient operation, adapted to market demands," concludes the CEO of PostalGow.