Post-Christmas Return Blitz At Area Malls Reveals Possible COVID-Influenced Trend: Some Things Just Don't Fit
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- It's that time of the year. People are heading to the mall to return and exchange Christmas gifts.
CBS2's Leah Mishkin has more on the items that didn't make the cut.
Queens resident Veronica Delgado was at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford to return a pair of sneakers for her husband. She got cash this year for Christmas.
"That's so nice of you to come and return," Mishkin said.
"Yeah, I know," Delgado said with a laugh, adding when told she should get points for that, "I know. I am. I will."
Surprisingly, nobody Mishkin stopped was returning a gift because they didn't like it. They just wanted to exchange for a different size.
One mother and son said they felt the gifts were spot on this year because families kept the holidays low key, since COVID-19 is again on the rise.
"I think when it's immediate family, you know what they like," a Paramus resident named Ani said.
Boots were a popular item. Laurie Amato of Old Bridge got a pair from her son, too. They just didn't fit.
"He's a great shopper. He buys nice things," Amato said.
And how about this for another popular trend?
"Christmas gift to myself," Hoboken's Dario Marcelli said.
"I think we deserve it. Exactly. Exactly," a Newark resident named Shanteeyah added.
Many of the people Mishkin stopped said the gifts they bought this year that they were returning, they bought them for themselves.
Marcelli agreed, but he, too, had to return his own gift because it didn't fit.
And then there were the people at the mall who came to shop for Christmas post-holiday.
"This is a gift to myself with money that I got for Christmas," Eric Jones said.
Eric and Ashley Jones are both active duty Air Force. They're also Lego collectors. They drove nearly three hours from Delaware to get to American Dream.
"I've actually been looking for this set. It's discontinued as of the 31st and this is the only store that has it in a 100-plus-mile radius," Eric said. "The sales have actually been really good right now, so we went and scored a few things at the Lego store."
That's a good strategy to consider for next year.
