Pine Ridge Mall crowds low for after Christmas shopping

The day after Christmas is usually the second busiest shopping day of the year. But for the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck, the crowd wasn’t as large as expected.

Some of the most common reasons shoppers gave for braving the expected crowds were to return or exchange Christmas gifts, spend Christmas money or hit the after Christmas sales.

While there some shoppers out and about at the Pine Ridge Mall Monday, it was pretty empty for one of the busiest days of the year. Stores weren’t packed with customers and there were no long lines to wait in.

Shoppers who were out said they were shocked at how few people there really were. They said the snow probably kept a lot of people home, but even then, they were still shocked at the low turnout.

“I’m a little surprised,” said Robert Turchot, who wanted to spend some leftover Christmas money he had. “I wish we had a bigger amount of people coming out because it brings more money.”

“I’m just really surprised that nobody is here,” said Natalie Shaffer, who goes after Christmas shopping every year. “You can get great bargains right now with the best selection and you don’t have to fight the crowds.”

“It’s actually kind of surprising,” said Miranda Smellie, who was shopping with her family. “I feel like when I was younger, I remember coming to the mall after Christmas and it was a lot busier.”

A recent survey done by the National Retail Federation shows that 48 percent of consumers plan on shopping at after Christmas sales all this week.