AURELIUS - Christmas is the season of giving and Wednesday was the first day to give it back.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Desiree Roy and her two sons, Jacob Roy, 5, and Zack Lewis, 16, shop at the Fingerlakes Mall Wednesday afternoon. “We got a lot of gift cards, so we're cashing 'em in,” Desiree said.
Desiree Roy and her two sons, Jacob Roy, 5, and Zack Lewis, 16, shop at the Fingerlakes Mall Wednesday afternoon. “We got a lot of gift cards, so we're cashing 'em in,” Desiree said.
Shoppers merrily made returns and exchanges while picking up a few things for themselves at Fingerlakes Mall and Fingerlakes Crossing stores. Much like the major shopping days that begin with the Friday following Thanksgiving, retailers provided post-holiday bargains that drew crowds to Routes 5 and 20.
“We're taking things back, looking for deals,” said Terry Bennett, of Phelps.
Sister-in-law Julie DeNard, of Virginia, said she appreciated the calmer shopping scene that just days before embodied the essence of hectic.
“It's very nice because nobody's around,” she said. “It's different.”
Helene Gamba, of Auburn, passed on the early morning sales that she relished in the past. After a well-attended family observance at her home Tuesday, Gamba brought some residual cheer with her to Bass Pro Shops Wednesday afternoon.
“There's a winter coat in there I'd like to get if they still have it,” she said while waiting for her daughter to park the car.
The two were making their way from Kohl's department store across the road at Fingerlakes Crossing, where they purchased some extra Christmas gifts. Many came out for the deals at major retail stores.
“We're mostly shopping for bargains,” said Kristi Newton, of Skaneateles, while shopping with relatives from Long Island.
A cart's worth of Kohl's bags confirmed her intentions. The day after Christmas is a great time to stock up on wrapping paper for the following year, said Newton, who also needed to make a stop at Dick's Sporting Goods to see about a return.
“This is actually the first time I've had to do it in a while, which is pretty good,” said Kelley Hutter, of Weedsport, who was making one return.
It seemed like a good time to pick up a digital picture frame for herself. The annual rite of returns tend to set people up to get something.
Julie Gould and Janie Kramer only needed to make one return this year. They indicated their plan not to buy anything might not hold up.
“We won't know until we get in there,” Gould said with a smirk while walking into Sears.
Wednesday wasn't all about shopping at Fingerlakes Mall, though. Nick Ganzon, of Seneca Falls decided to take in a movie with his two children after running some errands in town.
“The kids would like to spend some of their Christmas money, they were kind of disappointed I'm not letting them get anything,” Ganzon said.
At least they were pleased with the movie, “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
Brian Donald, of Rochester, left Bass Pro Shops empty-handed. He decided to stop by while he was in town for work.
It's a visit he pays whenever he's in the area, so declining to make a buy on the post-Christmas trip wasn't a worry.
“When I see something I like, I'll buy it,” he said.
Despite a strong start to the season, shoppers held out for deals through most of December amid a challenging economy. Higher gasoline prices, an escalating credit crisis and a housing slump made shoppers cautious, according to retail industry analysts.
A broad gauge of consumer spending released by Mastercard Advisors, a division of the credit card company, which includes estimates for spending by check and cash, reported on Tuesday an increase of 3.6 percent from Thanksgiving to Christmas. That compared with a 6.6 percent gain in the year-ago period.
The 2007 holiday figure is at the low end of its 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent range. Excluding gasoline and auto sales, that figure was 2.4 percent.
To spur business, stores rolled out discounts early and aggressively, raising concern about profits during this crucial period. The holiday season accounts for up to 30 percent of annual stores sales. For toy sellers, holiday business accounts for as much as 50 percent.
The post-Christmas season has become more important with the increasing popularity of gift cards, which aren't counted by stores until they're redeemed. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers were expected to spend a total of $26.3 billion in gift cards this holiday season, up 42 percent from $18.5 billion in 2005.
ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said that the week after Christmas accounts for about 16 percent of total holiday sales.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report
Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net
“We're taking things back, looking for deals,” said Terry Bennett, of Phelps.
Sister-in-law Julie DeNard, of Virginia, said she appreciated the calmer shopping scene that just days before embodied the essence of hectic.
“It's very nice because nobody's around,” she said. “It's different.”
Helene Gamba, of Auburn, passed on the early morning sales that she relished in the past. After a well-attended family observance at her home Tuesday, Gamba brought some residual cheer with her to Bass Pro Shops Wednesday afternoon.
“There's a winter coat in there I'd like to get if they still have it,” she said while waiting for her daughter to park the car.
The two were making their way from Kohl's department store across the road at Fingerlakes Crossing, where they purchased some extra Christmas gifts. Many came out for the deals at major retail stores.
“We're mostly shopping for bargains,” said Kristi Newton, of Skaneateles, while shopping with relatives from Long Island.
A cart's worth of Kohl's bags confirmed her intentions. The day after Christmas is a great time to stock up on wrapping paper for the following year, said Newton, who also needed to make a stop at Dick's Sporting Goods to see about a return.
“This is actually the first time I've had to do it in a while, which is pretty good,” said Kelley Hutter, of Weedsport, who was making one return.
It seemed like a good time to pick up a digital picture frame for herself. The annual rite of returns tend to set people up to get something.
Julie Gould and Janie Kramer only needed to make one return this year. They indicated their plan not to buy anything might not hold up.
“We won't know until we get in there,” Gould said with a smirk while walking into Sears.
Wednesday wasn't all about shopping at Fingerlakes Mall, though. Nick Ganzon, of Seneca Falls decided to take in a movie with his two children after running some errands in town.
“The kids would like to spend some of their Christmas money, they were kind of disappointed I'm not letting them get anything,” Ganzon said.
At least they were pleased with the movie, “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
Brian Donald, of Rochester, left Bass Pro Shops empty-handed. He decided to stop by while he was in town for work.
It's a visit he pays whenever he's in the area, so declining to make a buy on the post-Christmas trip wasn't a worry.
“When I see something I like, I'll buy it,” he said.
Despite a strong start to the season, shoppers held out for deals through most of December amid a challenging economy. Higher gasoline prices, an escalating credit crisis and a housing slump made shoppers cautious, according to retail industry analysts.
A broad gauge of consumer spending released by Mastercard Advisors, a division of the credit card company, which includes estimates for spending by check and cash, reported on Tuesday an increase of 3.6 percent from Thanksgiving to Christmas. That compared with a 6.6 percent gain in the year-ago period.
The 2007 holiday figure is at the low end of its 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent range. Excluding gasoline and auto sales, that figure was 2.4 percent.
To spur business, stores rolled out discounts early and aggressively, raising concern about profits during this crucial period. The holiday season accounts for up to 30 percent of annual stores sales. For toy sellers, holiday business accounts for as much as 50 percent.
The post-Christmas season has become more important with the increasing popularity of gift cards, which aren't counted by stores until they're redeemed. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers were expected to spend a total of $26.3 billion in gift cards this holiday season, up 42 percent from $18.5 billion in 2005.
ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said that the week after Christmas accounts for about 16 percent of total holiday sales.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report
Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net
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