Experts Give Tips For Shopping After Christmas, Returning Gifts
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Stores and malls are expected to be packed for the next three days, according to experts.
Today, Friday and Saturday are estimated to land in the top 10 of busiest days for retail traffic. Shoppers will likely be using new gift cards they received as Christmas presents, or they will be returning unwanted gifts.
If you plan on taking back some of your presents, you'll want to double-check that the store accepts refunds. Every retail and online store has its own policy when it comes to returns and exchanges.
Experts say that you should also follow these tips:
- Don't open the box your gift came in
- Keep your receipts
- Bring some form of identification with you, preferably a license
Kelsey Coleman, the Director of Communications for the Better Business Bureau (BBB), said that the process of returning gifts is more difficult than it appears.
"Read the fine print to understand how we are going to return these gifts if our loved one doesn't like them," Coleman said. "Make sure we're getting those gift receipts."
National retail sales were up 3.4 percent from last year according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks online and in-store spending. A nearly 20 percent increase in online spending helped those figures.
Countries like the United Kingdom typically see stores packed on Dec. 26 for Boxing Day, a shopping holiday that provides reduced prices similar to those on Black Friday.
