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

As every November, Black Friday, scheduled for the 29th this year, is expected with great expectation by customers and e-commerce companies in Brazil.Projections from Confi.Neotrust indicate that during the days leading up to and succeeding the period, the sector's revenue will be R$ 9.3 billion, a growth of 9.1% compared to 2023. However, a higher sales volume brings with it a challenge: the increase in returns.

Surveys by Ebit Nielsen, which monitor the industry, indicate that return or exchange requests for products happen in about 30% of online purchases. This rate tends to increase during Black Friday due to the high volume of sales, which requires increased attention from brands to manage reverse logistics management efficiently and ensure consumer satisfaction.

According to Carlos Tanaka, CEO of 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 in an agile and standardized way, reducing costs and improving the customer experience”, he says.

Efficiency and sustainability in management 

Reverse logistics platforms offer integration with ERP systems, enabling companies to monitor, in real time, each step of the return process, from the issuance of the order to processing in Distribution Centers. The automation of these processes and the standardization of the treatment of returned products contribute to optimize operations, reduce errors and costs, and improve the consumer experience.“A platform ReturnaEasy, for example, integrates standardized technologies and practices that help meet the challenges of peak periods, ensuring both customer satisfaction and sustainability of commercial operations”, explains Tanaka. 

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

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