Returns are on track to surge up to $850 billion this year, and often trace back to inventory issues introduced long before a product even ships. When product information is incomplete or inconsistent at the start, it disrupts how items move through the supply chain and creates conditions for preventable returns.
That breakdown shows up in very specific ways: Inaccurate dimensions lead to shipping errors, missing attributes create mismatches between customer expectations and what arrives on their doorstep, and incomplete identifiers cause products to “drop out” of systems during handoffs. And the holiday rush simply makes these underlying weaknesses impossible to ignore. The same data problems that raise issues in January also erode inventory accuracy, forecasting precision, and fulfillment efficiency all year long.
Procurement and supply chain leaders have more influence over this than they may realize. When suppliers provide structured, standardized data from the beginning, every operational touchpoint improves. Visibility gets clearer. Replenishment moves faster. And inventory flows through the network with fewer costly surprises.
Here are four steps that help teams strengthen performance during peak season and build a more predictable, efficient inventory cycle year-round.
1. Fix returns at the source: Strengthen supplier product data
Most preventable returns begin with incomplete or inconsistent product data. When suppliers provide descriptions, attributes, compliance details, or images in different formats or omit essential information, systems interpret the same product differently across the network. These gaps undermine online accuracy, distort demand signals, and create the kind of mismatches that drive avoidable returns.
Teams can eliminate this risk early by requiring suppliers to submit complete and accurate structured data using a standardized template, including dimensions, materials, recyclability notes, regulatory information, and category-specific attributes. Crucially, each product record must be tied to Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), which ensures the same item is recognized consistently across internal and external systems across global supply chains.
High-quality data at the source reduces fulfillment errors, improves forecasting accuracy, and lowers the rate of returns caused by incorrect or incomplete product information.
2. Keep every partner aligned with one product identity
Even when product data is complete, supply chains break down when partners rely on proprietary codes or siloed identifiers that do not translate across the ecosystem. As items move from suppliers to distribution centers, carriers, and retail systems, mismatched identifiers can cause inventory to appear available in one platform and vanish in another.
A standardized data language ensures every partner interprets product information the same way. This alignment makes each handoff faster and more accurate, reduces reconciliation work, and ensures that inventory positions remain consistent across the network.
A shared product identity transforms both speed and accuracy during the most chaotic periods of the year. A network that speaks the same standardized language is easier to manage, easier to monitor, and significantly better equipped to maintain accuracy as inventory moves.
3. Use RFID for real-time, item-level inventory confidence
Efficient inventory management demands instant clarity on what is moving and where it is. Traditional inventory counting can require line-of-sight or scanning just one item at a time, slowing down returns intake, cycle counts, and routing decisions.
Modern supply chains need real-time insight into what products are moving, where they are, and how quickly they can be processed. RAIN Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags give teams automatic, non-line-of-sight identification, allowing operators to read hundreds of items in seconds, keep digital records aligned with physical goods, and confirm what has re-entered the network without stopping the flow of operations. Fewer manual touches and faster verification lead directly to cleaner handoffs and more predictable routing decisions.
The impact on accuracy is extremely significant, as RFID can help retailers attain inventory tracking rates of up to 99%, which strengthens replenishment, improves cycle counts, and helps returns teams make faster decisions about recommerce, refurbishment, or resale. Encouraging suppliers to adopt RFID in high-impact categories provides visibility gains that benefit the network in every season, not just during peak returns.
4. Turn standardized data into connected, cross-functional decisions
Once product data is structured and standardized—and every trading partner references the same product identity—the next advantage comes from how teams use the data consistently. Many organizations still operate planning, sourcing, merchandising, and returns functions in silos, each with its own interpretation of product information. The issue isn’t that data is missing—it’s that teams can’t act on it collectively.
A unified data foundation allows each function to operate from the same real-time truth.
● Planners gain clearer visibility into true on-hand availability.
● Returns teams can confidently route products into refurbishment, recommerce, or resale.
● Procurement can identify supplier-level trends or return patterns earlier and intervene more effectively.
This consistency transforms product data into a strategic asset that improves forecasting, accelerates exception resolution, strengthens sourcing decisions, and protects margins.
Stronger data today means stronger inventory tomorrow
Holiday returns spotlight weaknesses, but the real opportunity lies in improving the product data that supports the supply chain year-round. Standardized attributes, globally recognized identifiers, RFID-enabled visibility, and unified data records reduce preventable returns while supporting better planning, allocation, and on-shelf availability.
Procurement plays a central role in this shift. When suppliers provide accurate, structured, and standardized data, the entire supply chain becomes more predictable and more resilient. Better data strengthens every stage of the inventory cycle and enables supply chains to operate with confidence in any season.
