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Happier Returns

Mismanagement of consumer returns, damaged goods, and overstocked items can add big expenses to supply chains.

February 1, 2010

Supply chains are commonly thought of as moving in one direction: from manufacturer to vendor to customer. But goods flow the opposite way, too. Customers open boxes, don't like what's inside them, and return the items to the store, which then returns them to the manufacturer. Food products on grocery-store shelves approach and then pass their expiration dates and are sent back to producers. Often undetected, these "reverse logistics" can add substantial costs to supply chains. Read more...

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