Shoppers hit area stores for post-Christmas sales, returns

PLEASANT PRAIRIE/GLENDALE, Wis. (CBS 58) – Christmas may be over, but one of the busiest stretches for retailers is just getting started and the arrival of above average temperatures in the Milwaukee area may boost that trend.

“It feels great,” said Pandora Lawrence, a shopper at Bayshore Towne Center. “I love Christmas like this. Went shopping, great sales. It’s just great!”

The day after Christmas is among the top three busiest shopping days of the year, according to research by Sensormatic Solutions.

The National Retail Federation says 68 percent of consumers will likely shop the week after Christmas.

But not everyone is spending money.

“We’re exchanging, actually,” said Dawn Marking of Mequon.

Exchanges and returns are also a popular reason for visiting the stores after Christmas. 55 percent of consumers will make returns in the month after Christmas, according to the National Retail Federation.

In total, consumers are expected to spend approximately $730 billion between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.

But no matter what the reason to head to the mall, the pleasant weather made it a nice way to spend the day.

“[It] makes you want to be outside,” said Marking. “Normally everyone would be huddled in the house, so this is perfect.”