3 C-Suite Questions! with Melanie Hilton, SVP,  Customer Success, GS1 US:

What should supply chain leaders be preparing for now that peak is well behind us?
“The real pressure for the retail industry shows up when products start coming back. Returns in the U.S. are expected to reach approximately $850 billion this year, and most reverse logistics networks were never designed to handle that level of volume or complexity. When product data is incomplete or inconsistent, teams spend time reconciling records, manually identifying items, and making routing decisions without the full picture. That slows everything down and reduces the value that supply chains can recover. Returns will always be operationally heavy, but they become far more manageable when every partner is working from the same data foundation at the item level, which is made possible with RAIN RFID tags. That is what enables quicker intake, cleaner handoffs, and more predictable outcomes for both supply chain and procurement teams.”

Where do you see the biggest data gaps that make returns such a challenge for supply chain teams?
“Most of the friction begins upstream. If suppliers, brands, carriers, and 3PLs are all using different identifiers or inconsistent product attributes, it becomes difficult to match physical goods with digital records once those items come back. That is when products sit in holding areas, move between facilities, or get sorted by hand. Standardized identifiers create the common language needed to reconcile those records. RFID then strengthens the system by improving inventory accuracy at the item level, which becomes essential once products start flowing back. With RFID, teams can verify items without line-of-sight scanning, read products in bulk at the dock, and quickly confirm what has re-entered the network. This speeds up intake and sorting and reduces manual touches. The improved visibility also helps procurement understand quality issues, supplier performance, and the patterns driving returns so they can make better sourcing decisions.”

If you could give supply chain and procurement leaders one priority to focus on in 2026, what would it be?
“Treat item data as an operational asset, not an afterthought. Strong data at the unit level gives you more control over where a product goes, how quickly it moves, and what value can be recovered. It supports smarter routing rules, faster disposition decisions, cleaner inventory planning, and more efficient recovery programs. When every partner is working from the same standardized data, you can design a returns process that moves more items into recommerce, refurbishment, or resale rather than waste. This is how supply chain and procurement teams protect margin and reduce unnecessary handling. Investing in this data layer now strengthens year-round inventory planning and management, reducing bottlenecks and enabling networks to respond faster to shifts in demand.”