'Twas the weekend after Christmas, and all through the mall, shoppers armed with gift cards are expected to make a big haul.
This is expected to be another big weekend for Michigan retailers.
Tom Scott with the Michigan Retailers says he expects many people will quickly transition from Friday’s Christmas celebration to making returns and cashing in gift cards Saturday and Sunday.
He says for store owners, gift cards are more than just a stocking stuffer.
“(Gift cards have) changed the way we think about the holiday season,” says Scott.
Scott credits the humble gift card with expanding the holiday shopping season from Thanksgiving to Christmas to October through January.
Preliminary credit card data suggest this has been a better than expected holiday shopping season, with projections ranging from 5% to 10% increases over last year’s sales.
