Hundreds of people went shopping the day after Christmas to take advantage of post-holiday sales as well as make gift returns and exchanges.
 / FOX21: File photo
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Christmas day has come and gone, but holiday shopping seems to be far from over.
Hundreds of shoppers took to the stores the day after Christmas to exchange or return those not-so-perfect gifts.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), returns are estimated to total $46.3 billion this year which is about four percent more than last year and 10 percent more than two years ago. The more than $46 billion does not seem like much, however it's about 10 percent of the $469 billion spent during the holiday season this year.
In Colorado Springs, many shoppers shuffled into major retailers like Best Buy and Target. Some to return gifts, others to spend the popular gift given during the holidays -- gift cards.
"I didn't have anything to return," shopper Timothy Wilcox said. "I just wanted to spend my gift card to get some headphones. Plus, the return lines in [Best Buy] are ridiculously long."
Long lines and crazy crowds was a popular descry piton for most retailers Monday. Wyatt Babb, who was shopping with his sister at the Super Target on Powers Boulevard in Colorado Springs, described the scene in the store as one of utter chaos.
"Oh it was pretty chaotic," Babb said. "There was a bunch of people trying to get Christmas decorations and stuff like that that have been really discounted. We came with a mission, so we just kind of got in and got out."
But getting in and getting out was not so easy for those who had to wait in the long line at Customer Service in order to return or exchange their items.
"Just looking at the crowds, I'm not too sure it's such a good idea," Randy Pacetti said as he walked into Best Buy in order to make an exchange.
According to the NRF, 62 percent of gift givers included the gift receipt inside the presents they gave. Those receipts are required for most, if not all, returns or exchanges at major retailers. The NRF said about 83 percent of retailers will keep their usual return policy, but about 13 percent will have stricter policies during the holiday season, especially for returns of electronics. Therefore, you will want to be sure to check the fine print before attempting to return or exchange any items.
Yet, according to consumer reports, not all who may not like their presents plan on returning or exchanging them for something else. A recent survey found that one in five Americans will donate their unwanted gifts instead.