FedEx workers sort through a pile of boxes at the FedEx sort facility at the Oakland International Airport.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

More people are expected to make holiday gift returns this year as online sales surge. Optoro is a company that manages returns and excess inventory, and estimates that two out of three consumers will return at least one gift during the holiday season this year. Approximately $66.7 billion worth of product is forecasted to be returned by the end of the year, potentially causing supply chain constraints as retailers face shipping delays, increased transportation costs, and labor shortages. The National Retail Federation expects 2021 online sales this holiday season to reach $222.3 billion, a 13 percent increase compared to last year. In addition, consumers started holiday shopping earlier this year to try and avoid supply chain disruptions, and as a result, retailers are seeing returns earlier than usual. This could ultimately benefit consumers, as hard-to-find and “top quality merchandise” could make its way back onto store shelves before Christmas.