Customers still flocking to stores; this time for returns and sales

Katie Cobb, a sales associate at Belk, helps customers as they return items and take advantage of after-Christmas sales Tuesday afternoon. If the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, then Dec. 26 must be the biggest return day of the year. And local retailers are no different than their national counterparts as shoppers bring back some of their Christmas treasures.

“We’ve had a steady traffic of returns,” said Jim Tyler, manager of the Belk store at Peachtree Marketplace. “But things are really going great. Business is good for the after-Christmas sales. Big sellers this year were our electronics and tools, and women’s sweaters do well this time of year. Other departments that had a big year were bedding and pillows and a lot of seasonal and holiday items did great for us.”

And, Tyler was pleased to say there were no ugly scenes with disgruntled customers as returns seemed to go smoothly.

“Almost everything that has come back has been either about the wrong size or a different color,” he said. “Overall it has been a great season.”

Workers agreed Tuesday afternoon.

“The returns have been steady, but not too rushed,” said Katie Cobb. “I’ve noticed a lot of women’s clothing coming back, but we haven’t had hardly any returns on the electronics that we sold a lot of before Christmas.”

And what about that store on Sam Walton Drive?

“We’re cleaning things up and getting ready for New Year’s and the Super Bowl,” said Wal-Mart Manager Scot Bowman. “I can say we didn’t have as many returns as we thought we would. The store has transitioned well. Our biggest moving items this year were our toys, of course, but we also had success with cosmetic gift packages. Seasonal items did well, too.”

So, what should you do if you want to return that thoughtful gift of the nose hair trimmer, novelty lamp or the CD of greatest Mariachi Band hits?

“Our return policy is pretty straightforward,” Bowman said. “If you want a cash refund you’ll have to make sure you bring a receipt, otherwise you’ll be given store credit.”

It isn’t a blanket statement, though.

“Our return policy on computers and some electronics is limited to 14 days,” Bowman added. “Any time after that and the merchandise is returned to the manufacturer. And if customers want to return holiday items, they’ll be given credit based on the current sale price.”