Tis’ the season to give – receive – and now return. The National Retail Federation estimates shoppers will return more than $46 billion in merchandise this year – that’s up almost 10 percent from two years ago.

Returns season is in full swing at UPS. Today consumers will return more than 500,000 packages!  It’s so many, we’re calling it National Returns Day. Just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we now have a self-proclaimed, unofficial holiday.

With the rise in online shopping this year more people are returning those gifts they couldn’t try on or touch before Christmas. The math is easy: more online shopping = more returns. Many retailers now offer free return shipping, making it even easier for consumers to swap wrong sizes and colors. Today’s deluge of returns will keep our drivers busy delivering just as many packages back to retailers on January 6, 2012.

Want to know everything you’ve always wanted to know about returns? You’re invited to our @UPS #HolidayReturns Twitter parties to learn tips for hassle-free returns. Join the first party at 1 p.m. EST.  Blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom) will moderate and the experts from @TheUPSStore will offer helpful shipping advice. 

Party 2 party takes place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST. We’ll chat about gift returns success stories and ideas to take the hassle out of returns throughout the year.

Don’t forget to stop by each party for a chance to win great prizes, including a $100 gift card from Zappos who just happens to have a great returns policy. It’s easy – just include the party hashtag #HolidayReturns in your tweets.

Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings: afternoon party rules, evening party rules.

Here’s wishing you Happy Returns in 2012!

Celebrating the holidays is a joyous event. Family, friends, food and gifts. Yet inevitably, returning gifts has become part of the routine during the holidays. In fact, January 3 is the top shipping day for holiday returns at UPS. Just as others created Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we’re creating a day too that’s dedicated to returns – National Returns Day.

Let’s face it. Returning gifts can feel like a hassle … collecting gift receipts, driving around town, standing in line at the store. Holiday returns are daunting, but they don’t have to be.

With our Twitter party, #HolidayReturns, we hope to deliver a bit of sanity and some clever ideas to help take the hassle out of holiday returns. Joining us as the party moderator is blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom) and a team of panelists. UPS compensated Melissa and the panelists for their participation. To generate smart ideas and tips throughout the day, we’re hosting two parties.

Party 1 takes place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. If you’re getting ready to hit the mall (or The UPS Store) with your gift returns, join Melissa and our panelists for tips to make gift returns less stressful.

Party 2 takes place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET. We’ll chat about gift returns’ success stories and ideas to take the hassle out of gift returns throughout the year.

Along with great ideas, our #HolidayReturns parties will feature prizes. To participate in the chat and prize giveaways, include the party hashtag #HolidayReturns in your tweets. Along with three $25 gift cards to The UPS Store awarded every 15 minutes, we’ll give away a $100 gift card to Zappos – who just happens to have a great returns policy – at the end of each party. Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings for the parties: afternoon party rules, evening party rules.