# Efficient Holiday Retail Returns Walmart Launched Its Carrier Pickup Service to Improve Returns By Daniel Johnson | Published 2020-12-28 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carrier-pickup References: [retaildive](https://www.retaildive.com/news/walmart-and-amazon-launch-return-options-as-some-predict-holiday-onslaught/592534/) & [corporate.walmart](https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/12/21/tis-the-season-for-hassle-free-returns) [Walmart](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-and-doordash) partnered with [FedEx](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/uber-5) to create a new free service named Carrier Pickup, which allows consumers to return items purchased from Walmart directly from their homes. The Carrier Pickup service was announced on December 21, and it gives customers the ability to schedule a meeting online with a FedEx employee to come to their home and pick up packages off of their doorstep. The retailer also added a number of new features to make in-store returns faster. The new service comes during a year of increased instances of e-commerce use as many consumers are avoiding in-person shopping due to the pandemic. Additionally, some organizations, including [Salesforce](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/salesforce), are expecting high numbers of returns during the holiday season to match the increased reliance on e-commerce. Image Credit: Walmart ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.8/10 - Popularity: 6% | Activity: 10% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [New Ventures](https://www.trendhunter.com/newventures) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Remote Returns:** Developing technology and logistics to enable easy and contactless returns will be a disruptive innovation opportunity for retailers. - **In-home Services:** Providing services that bring employees to consumers' homes can revolutionize retail and drive customer loyalty. - **Streamlined Returns Processes:** Investing in improving the speed and convenience of returns can lead to greater customer satisfaction and repeat business. ### Where This Applies - **Logistics:** Innovative logistics solutions that make it easy and safe to return products from consumers' homes will be in high demand. - **Retail:** Retailers that prioritize convenience and customer service will win over consumers who increasingly value a seamless shopping experience. - **E-commerce:** As e-commerce booms, finding ways to manage returns efficiently will be a key challenge for businesses to tackle. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Trackable Package Return Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/uber-5.md) - [AI Post-Purchase Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fedex-tracking.md) - [Streamlined Return Processes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ulta-beauty-x-paypal.md) - [In-Store Return Kiosks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/return-kiosks.md) - [Same-Day Delivery Service Updates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pickup-and-delivery-orders.md) - [Combined Retailer Deliveries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-pharmacy-delivery.md) - [Speedy Retailer Delivery Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-and-doordash.md) - [Staffed Pickup Points](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amazon-counter-in-canada.md) - [Canadian Retail Delivery Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/next-day-delivery.md)