AI-driven changes reshape global retail returns and sales

A Riskified survey of 2,091 consumers across the US, UK, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, Mexico and China found stark regional differences in return habits. "70% of Chinese consumers return items frequently or very frequently," compared with about 30% in the US, and social‑media exposure to return‑related content varies from 93% in China to 60% in the US. The report also notes that nearly half of shoppers have used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to draft return or refund claims, creating new challenges for fraud detection.

At the same time, a 2025 industry study shows that roughly 70% of retailers are piloting or deploying AI agents to streamline the sales journey. AI‑powered search and personalization now interpret shopper intent in real time, while AI‑enabled sales‑enablement tools provide on‑the‑fly coaching and workflow automation. Field experiments cited on arXiv reported sales lifts of up to 16.3% when generative AI is used in online retail. Predictive AI models also improve demand forecasting, helping retailers balance stock levels and dynamic pricing.

Together, these findings illustrate how AI is reshaping both the consumer‑facing and back‑office aspects of retail, demanding region‑specific policies for returns and new strategies for sales optimization.