NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. retailers are hoping for strong after-holiday sales because this year's Christmas coincided with Hanukkah.
A big Dec. 26 would cap a season that looks as if it will be solid for retailers -- only slightly less vibrant than last year, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
"A good holiday season means great things for the economy since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the gross domestic product," says a spokesman for the National Retail Federation.
For many stores, Dec. 26 can also be most challenging as customers arrive with returns or look for bargains, while others come to redeem gift cards.
The "Day After" phenomenon has also spawned an entire industry in which companies pay retailers pennies on the dollar for their returned or exchanged goods.
"The day after Christmas is Christmas for us. Everyone making a return is giving us a present," said the owners of one such company.
Some unwanted goods also end up for sale on Web sites such as eBay. Some of the most widely sold items that day have been knickknacks, fruitcakes, and exercise books and videos, the Monitor reported.
