E-commerce returns are unavoidable. Regardless of if you sell on Amazon, Shopify, marketplaces, or your own website, some percentage of orders will come back. Online shopping has removed the ability for customers to touch, test, or try-on products before buying, and nothing can completely fix that.

What can be fixed is how often customers feel disappointed once their order arrives. Most e-commerce returns don’t happen because customers are malicious or trying to game the system. Most of the time, returns happen because the product that arrived didn’t match what the customer expected, simple as that. That gap between expectation and reality is why most returns happen.

Reducing e-commerce returns doesn’t need to involve fighting customers or tightening return policies. It’s about managing expectations before checkout. Below are eight simple, but boring ways to reduce return rates by closing that gap.

I’ve been quietly gatekeeping this, but if you’re in France in January or July, it’s impossible to miss. Every shop window, from luxury boutiques to high-street chains, is plastered with the same word in bold letters: SOLDES.

To anyone visiting from outside France, it looks like a normal sale season. It’s not.

Les Soldes are a legally regulated national retail event, with fixed dates and strict rules. This is not just a marketing moment. It’s a very specific system.

So… what is Les Soldes?

In France, retailers are only allowed to run official Soldes twice a year:

• Winter Soldes (January–February)

• Summer Soldes (June–July)

These dates are set nationally. Retailers do not choose them, extend them, or move them around. When the window opens, it opens for everyone. When it closes, it closes for everyone.

As a digital nomad, I’m also very aware of what I buy. I don’t have closets or storage space spread across multiple rooms. Everything I buy has to earn its place. That usually means I’m drawn to pieces that are well-made, versatile, and a little bit interesting, things that let me keep a personal style without defaulting to the same black jeans and plain t-shirts everywhere I go.

So on a rainy afternoon in London, the last time I visited, I walked into a charity shop and found a well-fitted tweed blazer. It fit properly, felt high quality, and worked with the rest of my very limited wardrobe. The find itself was luck, but the conditions that make moments like that possible are very predictable in a retail culture where second-hand shopping is normalized and accessible.

Charity shops and second-hand retail stores aren’t just a trend or a sustainability talking point. They represent a functioning circular supply chain operating at scale, in plain sight.

When companies talk about “cutting logistics costs,” the conversation almost always goes straight to rates. But for most businesses, the real money leaks are not from rates, they’re buried in timing, processes, and people's decisions that quietly add cost every single day.
Here are 11 fixable problems that cost you money long before a carrier ever sends an invoice.

There’s been an explosion of content in the logistics and supply chain world. LinkedIn is full of polished videos, witty hot takes, and carefully curated brand stories. People, and companies, are learning that building a voice, sharing values, and connecting through storytelling can drive engagement, loyalty, and even sales.

That’s a good thing. But let’s not get carried away.

Because in logistics, your story is only as strong as your execution and service. It doesn’t matter how clever your content is if the trucks don’t show up, the freight goes missing, or no one answers the phone or emails.

Sales used to be about being the loudest voice in the room. Now? It’s about being the most useful.

But here’s the problem, there is a lot of sales advice floating around, especially in logistics, that is completely outdated. To be honest, some of it never even worked to begin with. And worse, it’s still being taught like gospel.

If you’ve ever been told to "always be closing" or "don’t take no for an answer,” this one’s for you. Here are six sales tactics that need to die already, and what to do instead if you actually want to build trust, book meetings, and close deals (without being annoying as hell).

There are many misconceptions regarding supply chain management. Some are pretty straightforward and well-documented, but recently, additional myths seem to have surfaced. From assumptions about who supply chain management is for, to misunderstandings about events in recent years, debunking these myths is crucial for anyone wanting to understand the industry better. Whether you’re a small business owner, an aspiring supply chain professional, or just curious about how goods move from one place to another, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. Let's dive into some of the most common myths and set the record straight!