Shoppers in Westchester and Hudson Valley hit the stores Wednesday in search of bargains.

The day after Christmas is becoming just as big for retailers as the day after Thanksgiving. Stores are reporting lower than expected December sales on top of record-low projections.Retailers were trying to boost their bottom line with deep discounts and gift cards. Many shoppers at the Cross County Shopping Center were greeted with sale signs of 50 percent or more off the retail price.

Analysts claim that 16 percent of holidays sales come in the week after Christmas. The National Retail Federation estimates consumers will spend more that $26 billion in gift cards this season. The holiday sales surge might come from those who got their cards on Christmas Day.