CHICAGO — Buying something online takes a single click. Returning it? That’s not so seamless.

A growing number of online retailers, from e-commerce giant Amazon to small apparel and footwear brands, are teaming up with bricks-and-mortar chains to try to make returns less of a hassle - or at least no worse than a return to a traditional store.

“If people can’t see it or touch it (when they first buy it), they want the option to return it,” said Scott Rankin, principal at KPMG Strategy in the retail sector, of online purchases. “Sometimes, they want to do it in a physical store because it’s just easier.”

With the holidays fast approaching, in-store returns programs are about to undergo a major test. U.S. consumers are expected to spend nearly $144 billion online this holiday season, up 14.1% from last year, according to Adobe Analytics.

But after a flood of packages lands at shoppers’ doorsteps, millions of unwanted items get sent right back. Delivery company UPS said it expects to handle a record-breaking number of returns this holiday season, with more than 1 million return packages expected to be shipped each day in December, peaking at an estimated 1.9 million packages on Jan. 2.

Customers can return many items bought on Amazon at any Kohl’s store after the retailer expanded a test of the returns service, initially offered at 100 Kohl’s stores, earlier this year. Delivery companies UPS and FedEx are partnering with chains like CVS and Walgreens to give shoppers more places to pick up and drop off packages.

Companies like women’s apparel brand Revolve and footwear brand Rothy’s tout easy returns on their websites. In-person returns with Happy Returns, Revolve’s website says, require “No receipt, return label or shipping box necessary! You just provide your email address or order number and your refund will be initiated immediately.”

Companies like Amazon already have been giving customers options when it comes to sending back unwanted items, ranging from a traditional visit to the post office to dropping off a boxed-up return at one of its delivery and pickup lockers. But the most seamless options, which let shoppers skip steps like printing labels or packing up boxes, weren’t as widely available prior to partnerships with national retail chains.

In-person returns generally mean quicker refunds, which seems to be the biggest attraction for shoppers, said Happy Returns co-founder and CEO David Sobie. But they also like being able to skip the “arts and crafts project” of prepping items for shipment, he said. Happy Returns gives customers refunds on the spot — no box required.

“For a number of years it was all about delivery and getting things fast and free, and now that focus has shifted to returns,” he said.

Consumers can still be reluctant to buy items sight unseen, especially goods like apparel and footwear, where fit is key. More than half of consumers have opted not to purchase an item because the return policy wasn’t flexible enough, according to a survey by Optoro, a company that works with retailers to process returns.