IT’S ‘BACK’ FRIDAY
Haul of shame as Yule crowds return bad gifts
Season’s leavings! Departmentstore crowds ditched unwanted Christmas presents on Friday — while others flocked to eBay to rid themselves of ugly sweaters, gaudy watches and out of-style coats.
One in three Americans expect to toss back at least one gift this holiday season, according to a consumer survey by RetailMeNot.com.
At a Marshalls in Harlem, Loza Beyene, 45, was among the mobs of shoppers exchanging unwanted presents on Friday, the secondbusiest shopping day of the year.
“I didn’t like it,” she said, holding up a multicolored blouse her daughter, Gabriella Zelenke, 17, and Zelenke’s grandmother bought her from Marshalls.
“This is cheap. I wanted something more expensive. I like brand names — Michael Kors, Anne Klein, Diesel. I wanted something I can show off and say, ‘Look what my daughter gave me,’ ” said Beyene, who planned to trade in the shirt for a wallet.
From the break of dawn Friday, crowds lined up outside department stores ready to trade in presents and snatch up heavily discounted merchandise.
Ibsen Cunha, visiting from Brazil on his honeymoon, got a jump on the bargains at the Macy’s in Herald Square, showing up at 6:30 a.m.
“I’m excited! I came here early because the cheapest goes the fastest,” said Cunha, 27, of Belo Horizonte.
“We came with one [suitcase], and we need to buy at least four more.”
Doorbuster sales at Macy’s had also attracted Devon Kelly, 50, a property manager from Queens.
He bought deeply discounted Christmas presents for friends he hadn’t seen yet and exchanged his sister’s unwanted boots for a cheaper — and hopefully better — pair.
“I saved $27 on that. I’m feeling great! I have money going back into my account,” Kelly bragged.
Some jilted giftgivers were less than pleased to see their presents rejected.
Terrence Murray, 26, of Harlem balked when his girlfriend wanted to return the stockingstuffer hairbrush he bought her.
“When she said she was going to return it, I said no because it is a gift. You shouldn’t be picky,” he recalled.
Murray later caved and took her to get their money back.
“It is Christmas, and I want her to be happy,” he said. “But I let her do the dirty work and return it!”