Amazon Pushes 'Easy' Returns Via Retail Outlets, in Customer Pitch

A day after Walmart cut the price of a Walmart+ membership to $49 for three days (see 2211010069) in a holiday promotion, Amazon trumpeted its delivery and returns perks for Prime members. Amazon is “making returns easy” this holiday season, blogged John Felton, senior vice president-global delivery services, Wednesday, saying Amazon is enabling returns direct from retail stores including PacSun, GNC and Diesel in about 10 metro areas. Amazon plans to expand the return service to more retailers and cities in coming months. Customers should look for the “FREE Returns badge” under the price at the e-commerce site “to confirm it’s a qualifying item,” Felton said. Customers can also make returns with no packaging or label at Whole Foods, Kohl’s, UPS stores and Amazon’s Go, Fresh, Style, Counter and Locker+ locations, he said. Some 20 million items are available to U.S. Prime members for free one-day delivery with no minimum purchase, he said, and “hundreds of thousands” of items are available for free same-day delivery, “within hours,” in over 90 metro areas. Felton noted Amazon plans to hire 150,000 full-time seasonal workers over the holiday season with wages up to $19 per hour based on position and geography.