It’s great to get a gift. What’s even better? Exchanging that gift for one that fits better or something you actually wanted.
As the annual holiday gift exchanges wind down, it’s time for the second round of exchanges – the returning of gifts to stores or online retailers for something else.
Of course, this happens year-round with returns expected to account for about $890 billion in 2024, about 17% of annual sales, according to a report released earlier this month by the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, a UPS company.
Holiday gift returns outpace those of the rest of the year and retailers expect the return rate to increase about 17%, the report found.
Throughout 2024, retailers fought for sales from inflation-weary customers in the shortened holiday season. To kickstart the action, Amazon, Walmart, Target and other retailers held early Black Friday events to help drive traffic.
Now, Amazon, Walmart, Target and other retailers are preparing for the influx of customers with holiday gift returns.
Here’s what you need to know about the return policies at Amazon, Walmart and Target.
Amazon return policy
Amazon’s Returns Center allows gift recipients to return items marked as a gift at the time of purchase. The digital gift receipt will have a 17-digit order number. If you don’t have the order ID or tracking number, the gift purchaser will need to contact Amazon.
