Unwanted Goods Worth £1.51B Head Back to Retail Stores

New Year Return Madness: Christmas Packages In a Rush

It’s That Post‑Holiday Time Again – but the Numbers Are Higher Than Ever

On the very first working day of the year, post‑Christmas returns have leapt 6.8 % compared with 2 January last year, according to the home‑delivery authority Parcelhero.

What the Numbers Actually Mean

£1.51 billion worth of items are now heading back to retailers.
The haul is mainly clothing, electrical gadgets and toys.
Parcel shipments spiked 554.7 % above the volume on Boxing Day, signalling a huge surge as shoppers rush back to work and deal with unwanted gifts.
Last year the Royal Mail reported a 52 % jump on 2 January compared to a typical day, and this year’s figures are set to exceed that.

David Jinks – the voice behind the stats

Parcelhero’s Head of Consumer Research said, “We’ve combed our own return volumes and spoken to courier and retail insiders, and yesterday’s spike is clearly notable. We’re estimating around £1.51 billion of goods on the way back.”

“The jump in parcel shipments from last week’s Boxing Day highlights the post‑holiday rush, and we expect even more returns this year,” Jinks added.

Bottom Line

That first morning after the holidays is turning into a freight frenzy—proof that gift‑gateways keep knocking on our doors long after the twinkling lights go out.

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Christmas Shopping: Footfalls Limped Out of the High Street, but Online Sales Rocked the Market

Retailers dubbed 2024 “another one‑year‑late lesson in holiday economics.” While the high street’s foot traffic fizzled out before December’s end, e‑commerce giants still saw a surge in Black Friday and beyond. If returns in the parcel system match purchases, consumers were splurging before the tree was even sparkling.

Why Your Returns Deadline Is a Race Against Time

Late‑night Brunch—coming up on the last spots for refund—and there’s a ticking clock. Online shoppers have 14 days after delivery to notify the seller they want a refund, then another 14 days to ship the item back. So, if you got your Christmas gift on December 24th and you’re reading this on January 3rd, you’ve got only four days left to hit “I want to return.”

Slick Return Policies Are Years Ahead of You

Amazon accepts returns from purchases made between 1 Nov and 25 Dec until 31 Jan.
Argos covers items bought from 27 Sep to 25 Dec, again till 31 Jan.
Marks & Spencer lets you return items bought from 10 Oct to 24 Dec until 26 Jan.
John Lewis covers 26 Sep to 24 Dec until 23 Jan.

Not all big names are as generous, so a quick check of the return window on each retailer’s site is the smartest move.

Why Physical Stores Get the Short End of the Stick

Retailers in brick‑and‑glue stores aren’t bound by the 14‑day no‑fault rules—unless the product is defective. Smaller outlets are bleeding hard cash: a recent industry report estimated a whopping £60 bn in returns every year in the UK. Nearly half of all parcel returns in 2023 fell into the post‑Christmas window, with 47% of Parcelhero shipments flagged as returns in the first week after the holidays.

The Dilemma for Online Brands

Online sellers must choose: sink money into absorbing returns or take the risk of losing reviews. 81% of stores are worried about escalating return rates. Specialist online shops that thought they’d made a tidy profit now see their margins shrink faster than the New Year’s resolutions, while warehouses stare at piles of unsaleable stock.

Some know that to keep their shiny five‑star ratings they’ll accept returns at up to 60% post‑Christmas, even though each online order costs retailers £3 more to process than a physical sale.