NEW YORK (AP) — The shopping rush leading up to Christmas is over and in its place, like every year, another has begun as millions of people hunt for post-holiday deals and get in line to return gifts that didn’t fit, or didn’t hit quite right. Holiday spending topped last year’s haul, but growing unease over the U.S. economy and higher prices have altered the behavior of some Americans. More are hitting thrift stores and they’re sticking more closely to shopping lists. Here are three trends that defined the holiday shopping season so far.
More thrifting and fewer returns, the early trends that defined shopping this holiday
