CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — The silver bells may have stopped ringing, but consumers continue to flock to shopping centers around the country.
Some go to return that ill-fitting sweater they unwrapped on Christmas, or the blender they liked but didn’t need. Others are taking advantage of the seemingly endless sales plastered across store windows.
And some like Lisa Arnold and her daughter, Kim Creef, came to the Greenbrier Mall on Dec. 26 for tradition.
“This is our after Christmas tradition,” explained Arnold. “My daughter and I, we do this every year.”
“It’s really our only one on one time being with each other,” said Creef. “We both have smaller kids so it’s just something fun we can do together.”
According to the National Retail Federation, 17 percent of Americans will hit stores to make returns or exchanges. An estimated 27 percent will make it out Wednesday to use gift cards they received during the holidays. Kim Creef is part of the latter group.
“I always get a lot of gift cards,” Creef said. “So it’s nice to come and spend those. I get a lot of good makeup from Sephora and we go to Macy’s and we’re getting ready to hit Bath and Body Works.”
Not everyone will make it out Wednesday, however experts say half of American consumers say they plan to shop between now and the new year.
