Recent supply chain difficulties and worker shortages are not making it easier on retailers trying to figure out how to justify free returns. According to Optoro, it costs retailers an average of $33 when a customer returns a $50 item, up 59 percent from last year. In some cases, operators like Amazon are telling customers to keep the product and forget about returning it, which may ultimately save the retailer expenses but perhaps creates the wrong kind of incentive for shoppers.