Adobe is crunching the numbers on holiday-shopping returns and found shoppers are returning fewer products this year compared to last year. Between November 1 and December 12, returns were down 2.5% versus the comparable period last year. But in the 7 days following Cyber Week, returns were down by only 0.1%.
Adobe expects returns are expected to rise by 25% to 35% compared to levels in the season thus far (not compared to last year) as returns ramp up after Christmas Day. It expects returns to remain elevated through the first two weeks of January, up 8% to 15%.
The last week of December sees the greatest concentration of returns, according to Adobe: 1 out of every 8 returns in the 2024 holiday season took place between Dec. 26 and Dec 31 (the 6 days following Christmas Day and to year-end), a trend expected to persist this year.
Consumer spending so far this season is up 6.1% year-over-year. And while discounts are down from Cyber Week highs, they will linger for remainder of December: “Shoppers can still find bargains this month in toys (peaking at 15% off listed price), furniture and bedding (10%), televisions (10%), electronics (9%), computers (8%), apparel (8%), appliances (7%) and sporting goods (6%).”
Adobe analyzes direct commerce transactions online, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs, and 18 product categories. The company will share the final recap of the 2025 holiday season data in early January 2026.
