Shoppers hit Bel Air stores Monday for post-Christmas deals, gift exchanges

Erica Lesniewski and her three children left the PetSmart store in Bel Air Monday with gifts and treats galore, although they all were for the puppy the family got for Christmas.

"I'm very excited," said 15-year-old Maddie, who was holding a Neater Feeder pet bowl filled with items such as a leash, dog treats and a dog toothbrush and toothpaste.

The items were purchased for the puppy, a yellow Labrador retriever, using gift cards the children got for Christmas.

"With the pet rewards today, they have some really good deals," Lesniewski said of PetSmart's customer discount programs.

The PetSmart, like many major retailers around Bel Air, was busy with shoppers either returning and exchanging gifts or seeking day-after-Christmas discounts. The day after Christmas has become a big shopping day, and retailers offer major discounts.

A survey conducted for the National Retail Federation before Christmas indicated 48 percent of the consumers who responded said they planned to patronize stores after Christmas and take advantage of the discounts offered, according to the NRF's website.

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Morgan Baker, of Darlington, shows husband Brandon a glass Christmas tree she purchased at a discount in the Target store in Bel Air Monday as retailers offered deep discounts to post-Christmas shoppers. Their cart is filled with other merchandise, such as gift wrapping for next Christmas, that they bought at a discount, too. (DAVID ANDERSON | AEGIS STAFF / Baltimore Sun)

That amount has increased from 47 percent indicated in the trade association's survey for last year's Christmas shopping season.

Lesniewski went shopping Monday with her daughters, Maddie and Emma, who is 7 years old, and son, Connor, 12.

"Everything was on sale; it's going to be perfect when they pick up the dog," she said of the puppy they are getting Wednesday.

Bel Air resident Jon Amos also sought dog-related items Monday. He got his at the neighboring Best Buy when he purchased a GoPro camera attachment fitted for a dog.

GoPros are small but durable cameras designed to be attached to a person's body and record footage of their activities. Amos, a student at Towson University, wants to "just live life through the eyes of my dog," such as when they go on hikes.

He described the post-Christmas discount he received from Best Buy as "not really a good deal, not a bad deal either, just a deal.

The store, which is part of the Harford Mall complex, was offering discounts of up to 30 percent on major appliances.

Cathy and Jeff Kundratic, of Fallston, were shopping for computer accessories. They were seeking replacements for the protective cases for various tablets, cases they had received as Christmas gifts.

"I think our thing is more replacing gifts that we got that weren't exactly what we wanted," Cathy Kundratic said.

Kris Weaver, the "Apple master" at Best Buy, showed them a potential replacement case for an iPad, but the case did not fit their needs.

Cathy noted Weaver had been "very helpful," though.

The Kundratics noted they were more focused on gift exchanges, but they might seek out post-Christmas deals later in the day.

Morgan Baker, and her husband, Brandon, who live in Darlington, saved $100 on items they purchased at the Target store in Bel Air.

"There were some things I saw before Christmas that I wanted, but I didn't want to pay full price," Morgan Baker said.

She said everything she and her husband purchased was "at least 50 percent off."

Their red Target cart also was filled with a number of items related to Christmas, such as a small glass Christmas tree, and multiple rolls of wrapping paper.

"I always like to check out the day after Christmas [shopping] and get our wrapping stuff for the next year," Baker said.