Every festive season brings a surge in returns. Last year, 65% of shoppers sent something back or exchanged a holiday purchase. That’s not a problem, it’s just the new normal for modern retail.

While the holiday rush continues to see increased spending, your customers are looking for gifts, essentials, and supplies, most are buying online. They’ve found what they want, moved it to the cart, and head to checkout. Then reality hits: a shipping fee, say ₦5,000 more than expected, pops up without warning. Instead of finalizing their purchase, they close the tab, sometimes for good.

December is every retailer’s time to shine. Sales surge, shelves empty, and for a few brief weeks, it feels like everyone wants what you have. But after the holidays, many businesses face a harsh reality: January arrives, and suddenly the best-sellers are nowhere to be found.

For Nigerian entrepreneurs, policy experts, and cross-border traders, the global economic dialogue is evolving at a rapid pace. While Nigeria is not yet part of the BRICS coalition, the bloc's recent expansion—now welcoming continental neighbors like Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa—sends powerful ripples across the entire African market.