The Sales Never Stops

(click image to enlarge. Chart from Reverse Logistics Association)

Folks outside the consumer goods world are often surprised to learn that the sale of an item is not the penultimate transaction between vendor and customer. The service cycle in mass retail, and many other industries, includes dealing with returned merchandise, shipping materials and damaged goods that traditionally where pushed back through the supply chain.

The practice of Reverse Logistics centers on minimizing this back flow. Check out the Reverse Logistics Association for more about the dramatic cost savings companies are realizing through a holistic view of their product flow.