Laura Foley

Inside the reverse logistics education gap and the economic blind spot keeping it invisible Special Guest Blog Post written by Deborah Dull   Tony Sciarrotta has been asking the same question at industry conferences for years. As the Senior Director of Circularity and Reverse Logistics at the National Retail Federation, he knows what answer he’s going to get. But he keeps asking anyway. “Anybody in here go to school for returns management, reverse logistics, circularity? Any degrees in those fields the room?” It’s rare that anyone raises their hand. “That’s what’s wrong with our industry,” Sciarrotta told me at NRF Rev this January, the first conference under NRF’s new reverse logistics banner. “We still need to fix it.”   The Numbers That Should Make Headlines Here’s what makes reverse logistics so fascinating: the scale is staggering, but the infrastructure to support it needs to be stronger. According to the National Retail Federation, American retailers processed approximately $890 billion in returns in 2024 which is roughly 17% of all retail sales – and it’s higher for ecommerce. But that number almost certainly understates reality. “We have a fragmented industry,” Sciarrotta explained. “Where are all those returns going? It has to be…

Turn data into insight – map, monitor, and mitigate fortced labor risks across your value chain. Since the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) went into effect in 2022, sub-tier supply chain visibility has become an increasingly critical and ubiquitous prerequisite for import compliance. Automotive companies, due in no small part to their highly complex supply chains, are among the hardest hit by this requirement of anti-forced labor and ESG regulations. A recent study by Sayari analysts found that 95% of leading OEMs’ exposure to forced labor risk comes from sub-tier suppliers. The ability to identify and mitigate risks throughout their value chains is critical for OEMs aiming to minimize operational disruptions, avoid detentions, and maintain competitive advantage. Download the report to learn how Sayari is overcoming barriers to supply chain visibility, enabling OEMs to map their sub-tier supply chains, identify indirect exposure to forced labor risk, and foster greater supply chain resilience in an increasingly dynamic trade landscape. DOWNLOAD NOW