Gift cards were also in demand at Target this year. “Target, in general, every year sees more and more gift cards being sold,” said Brad Swanson, manager of Target in Hummels Wharf. “It certainly, obviously, helps us get return traffic when gift cards are purchased and given.”

This return traffic comes not only to spend their cards, but often, to check out the after-Christmas sales as well. “We’re in full clearance mode in the store,” Swanson said. “A lot of things that are Christmas are deeply discounted. We’re hoping to entice people to buy more than just what’s on their gift card.”

With a cart full of half-price Christmas decorations for next year, Bloomsburg residents Leon and Glenda Kowalski’s shopping purpose was clearly noticed. They were looking for deals on Friday along with their daughter, Adria Unger, and granddaughters, Giana, 4, and Siana, 2, also of Bloomsburg.

Kipp Weir, another Best Buy worker, said the store saw crowds of people buying gifts on Christmas Eve. But on Friday, he was dealing with a lot of customers at the customer service desk. “A lot of them are exchanging,” he said. “Not a whole lot of them are returning.”

Bobbi Dupes, of Lewisburg, was standing in the relatively quick moving gift return line at Target on Friday to return some clothing she had received for Christmas. “My husband thinks I’m smaller than I am,” she smiled. While she was standing in line, her husband was off shopping in the store for X-Box accessories. The game system was her gift to him for Christmas.

The Straub family, of Middleburg, was shopping in Target for accessories for a different kind of Christmas gift. “I got a new puppy this year,” said Caitlin Straub, 8. The Yorkie puppy’s name is Miley. Caitlin was shopping with her mom, Alissa, sister Madison, 4, and little brother Nathan, 11 months