UK retailers face a sharp post-Christmas operational squeeze as returns and customer enquiries surge in January, according to new data from ecommerce customer support platform, eDesk.

Analysing millions of post-holiday customer interactions across thousands of ecommerce sellers, eDesk found that return requests rise by +45% after Christmas, alongside a +34% increase in overall customer support requests.

This spike places immediate strain on support teams, with average issue resolution times slowing by 28% during the busiest returns period, quietly eroding margins built during peak trading.

The data shows that gift sets, clothing and electronics generate the highest volume of post-holiday returns.

“The moment the holiday shopping rush ends, the real pressure starts,” said Gareth Cummings, CEO at eDesk. “Smart retailers are not reacting to this. They are preparing for it.”

“Using returns data to predict demand, strengthen operations and set clear customer expectations is how retailers protect margin and hold on to their customers,” Cummings added.