Now is the season of many returns, and pure-play e-tailers are feeling the brunt, notes a report in The New York Times. Between Dec. 26 and Jan. 31, some 45 percent of Americans will be returning at least one gift item, according to Optoro, an e-commerce software company. About 30 percent of the merchandise purchased online ends up getting returned, versus only 9 percent of the items bought in stores.

In 2015, merchandise returns cost retailers some $260 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Not surprisingly, 62 percent of consumers prefer returning items to a store, because that is a lot more convenient, according to consulting firm AlixPartners. This suits retailers too, because returns to a store cost them only half as much as returns to a distribution center — and it is easier to restore the items to store shelves, the firm says.

Entrepreneurs are cashing in on the convenience of returns made in person. Happy Returns, for one, operates so-called “return bars” at some 50 malls across the country, according to the Times, and the company is planning to open 150 more of those this year.