After Christmas Sales

Christmas Exchanges Colonial Bel Air Mall All the presents are unwrapped and now shoppers are out to get what they really wanted for Christmas.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Wed, December 26, 2007 - 4:18 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, December 26, 2007 - 5:19 pm CST

Santa's chair at the mall is empty, but the Christmas shopping season isn't over yet.
The National Retail Federation says after Christmas shopping accounts for 16% of holiday sales, and local retailers are hoping shoppers will help boost their bottom line.
"This is a tradition," said Delores Dismuke of Hurley, Mississippi. Dismuke spent Wednesday shopping at Mobile's Colonial Bel Air Mall with her three daughters. "We always go shopping the day after Christmas," she said. The Dismuke family was on the hunt for discounted Christmas decorations. "After Christmas is the best time to get decorations for the next Christmas," said Tammy Nance, one of Disumke's daughters.
Raye Hanks and her grandson spent the day at the mall exchanging presents and hoping to find big sales. "We're exchanging a couple things and just looking around," said Hanks, who was surprised the mall wasn't as crowded as she expected.
Retailers are also hoping shoppers will cash in their gift cards to help their 2007 sales. More than $26 billion in gift cards were sold across the country this holiday season. In fact, Bel Air Mall sold so many this year, they temporarily ran out earlier this week. Gift cards only count on corporate balance sheets when they're redeemed, not when their sold.

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