REVERSE LOGISTICS rides high on the wave of e-commerce

摘要

With the ongoing growth of e-commerce, the volume of returned inventory continues to rise for logistics managers in a variety of industry sectors. But arguably, it's U.S. retailers who have felt the greatest impact in recent years. Indeed, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that over $400 billion in goods are returned in any given 12-month time frame. "Historically, many returns end up in landfills, and the transportation of these goods contributes to retail's carbon footprint," adds NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz. "This becomes more of an issue when one considers that online and other non-store sales were up 14.3% year-over-year in 2019." Even global leaders attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this year seized upon the urgency for a "reverse loop," with IMO secretary general Kitack Lim calling for renewed cooperation from all stakeholders. "Shipping, transport and the supply chain as a whole can make a successful transition to a low or zero carbon future and contribute to global sustainability," he stated. "Reverse logistics is key to the effort."