In recent years, as online shopping continues to burgeon, the volume of furniture returns has also skyrocketed. Often, consumers order furniture pieces only to find out that they don’t fit in their space, don’t match their decor, or simply aren’t to their taste. These returns, apart from posing logistical and financial challenges for businesses, have significant environmental implications.
The Scale of the Problem
It’s estimated that billions of dollars worth of furniture is returned annually across the globe. For instance, in the United States alone, online furniture sales reached nearly $50 billion in 2020, with return rates for online purchases estimated to be between 15-30%. This means that billions of dollars worth of furniture was potentially returned, with much of it ending up in landfills.
