Washington, December 11, 2007 – As gift cards become more popular during the holiday season, consumers say they are actually returning fewer items than in previous years. According to NRF’s Holiday Returns Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, 64.3 percent of consumers did not return anything last holiday season, up slightly from 62.4 percent in 2005.

“Gift cards take the guessing out of giving and are one gift that people actually want to return,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. “Retailers will be sure to keep extra gift cards on hand this holiday season, especially for last minute shoppers.”

Gift givers say that they are continuing to increase their use of gift receipts as well. According to the survey, 57.5 percent of consumers plan to hand over a gift receipt with holiday gifts either most of the time or some of the time this year, compared to 56.9 percent from last year. When it comes to return policies, 87.3 percent of consumers polled feel that retailers’ policies are fair.

NRF offers consumers these tips for stress-free returns after the holidays:

1. Know the retailer's return policy before you buy. Most retailers have return policies prominently displayed, especially at this time of year. Gift-givers should read and remember them. If policies are not clearly displayed, ask a sales associate.

2. Save and file all receipts! Receipts are still the key to hassle-free returns. Some retailers will allow consumers to exchange merchandise without a receipt, but without a receipt, a retailer may only provide merchandise credit for the lowest markdown-price at which the item was sold in the past 30 days.

3. Provide all original packaging and all parts (including tags) when giving a gift. Some retailers won't accept returns unless the item is in its original package. If you plan to take back a gift when it is unwrapped, resist the urge to open it or play with it. No one wants to buy someone else's merchandise.

4. Ask for a gift receipt to make gift returns easier. Ask the retailer if they issue gift receipts. These receipts contain all the necessary information to prove the items were purchased, minus the price.

5. Make your online returns easy! Returns are a part of shopping, no matter where you choose to shop. In addition to the other common sense rules of returns, here are a few things to find out before you purchase a gift online:

- Know the process – Who pays for shipping the return--you or the merchant? Some merchants will pick up the delivery charges for exchanges, but not for returns.

- Where to make returns – Does the retailer have a physical store, and can returns or exchanges be made there? Make sure you have the correct address if you need to mail returns back to the company. Some merchants have off-site service centers that handle returns that may be in a different location from where the merchandise is sent.

6. Don't delay! Consumers should plan to make returns as soon as possible after the holidays to take advantage of extended hours and extra help, and to get the best selection of merchandise for an alternate gift.

7. Remember, the week after Christmas is one of the busiest weeks of the retail year. With people’s frustration high and tolerance low, be patient when returning merchandise.

About the Survey
The NRF 2007 Returns Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey, which polled 7,982 consumers, was conducted for NRF by BIGresearch from October 31-November 7, 2007. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

BIGresearch is a consumer market intelligence firm that provides unique consumer insights that are gathered online utilizing very large sample sizes. BIGresearch’s syndicated Consumer Intentions and Actions survey monitors the pulse of more than 7,000 consumers each month to empower its clients with unique insights for identifying opportunities in a fragmented and changing marketplace. www.bigresearch.com

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2006 sales of $4.7 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com 

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