While the day after Christmas was once reserved for gift-wrap bargain hunters and malcontents, the continued gift-card craze has made Dec. 26 an increasingly significant retail event.
Almost
one in five consumers--about 18%--planned to shop Wednesday, according to a survey from the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. and UBS Securities.
"Gift cards have transformed the
holiday-shopping landscape and they have extended holiday shopping well past Christmas Day," the trade group says.
--Sarah Mahoney