Amazon is rolling out return kiosks at Goodwill stores across the Seattle area, giving customers a new way to drop off packages.
It’s the latest step in Amazon’s push to expand its return network beyond the Seattle tech giant’s own brick-and-mortar locations (Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go).
The Amazon kiosks will be available at all Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington stores — 21 locations across five counties. Some are already active, and the remainder will be operational by the end of the month.
We noticed Goodwill as a return option earlier this week while trying to return an item on Amazon.com, and tested a kiosk inside the Goodwill store in Redmond, Wash.
A sign at the entrance notifies customers of the new drop-off option, but the next step wasn’t immediately obvious. After heading toward the cashiers, I spotted the kiosk adjacent to the registers and across from a display of holiday items for sale.
The experience is familiar if you’ve used Amazon’s self-serve kiosks: scan a QR code sent by Amazon, wrap the product in provided plastic bag (a shipping box isn’t needed), attach the printed label, open the hatch, and drop the item in the bin. There is no cost to the customer.
One unique aspect: a 20% off coupon appeared on the screen after I completed the return. The kiosk also asked two questions: “Are you normally a Goodwill shopper?” and “Are you making a purchase today?” with multiple choice spending options.
Equipped with my coupon, I wandered around and came across some fun Microsoft shirts — not too surprising given the store’s proximity to the company’s Redmond headquarters campus.
Amazon has established similar partnerships with third-party retailers for several years, including Kohl’s and Staples, giving customers more places to return items without having to package them. The strategy helps Amazon reduce return-processing costs while expanding its physical presence without acquiring new real estate.
“We continue to improve our seamless returns experience and offer more convenient drop-off locations,” Amazon said in a statement.
For partners, the kiosks help increase foot traffic.
“When customers visit our stores to return packages, they also have the chance to donate or shop,” said Alyssa Grigg, senior director of marketing and communications for Evergreen Goodwill. She added that the partnership is particularly useful for customers in more rural areas who may have fewer return options.
Amazon says four out of five customers in the U.S. have a return drop-off point within five miles of their home. The company offers free returns on most items delivered in the U.S.
Online retailers continue to grapple with the rising costs of returns. The average return rate for online purchases was 16.9% in 2024, according to a report from the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns. Total returns were projected to reach $890 billion in 2024. Some companies have started charging a small fee for returns.
