Snowy skies and slippery roads could not deter bargain hunters from heading to post-Christmas sales at local stores on Sunday morning.

At Target in Bend, shoppers wheeled snow-covered shopping carts inside from the parking lot and went about filling them up with discounted Christmas-themed wrapping paper, shiny ornaments, sparkly bows and other seasonal items. Others lined up at customer service, waiting to return unwanted gifts.

For many shoppers, hitting the stores the day after Christmas is as much a part of holiday tradition as Santa Claus and Rudolph. For retailers, post-Christmas sales are a last-ditch effort to get cash registers ringing before the holiday season comes to a close.

On Sunday morning, about 20 to 30 shoppers lined up outside the store, waiting for doors to open at 7 a.m., said manager Paul Cordero.

”It got quiet for about 20 minutes while everyone shopped, and then it hit us,” said Cordero, referring to cash-register lines. ”Customers are buying trees, wrap, everything. Nobody’s baskets are small this day.”

Many shoppers waiting in line at Target said they planned to load their packages in the car and head for other post-Christmas sales.

”We pretty well have it mapped out from the ads,” said Gayle Rush, a Prineville resident who waited with her daughters and grandson to pay for the bedding and holiday decorations in her cart.

”After Christmas dinner, we sit down and strategize. I usually look for Christmas decorations to add to what I have, which is extensive,” said Rush.

Julie Swinehart, 28, from Prineville, and her sister Melissa Hart, 24, from Kansas City, said they wanted to take advantage of discounts on holiday-themed basics, like paper towels and crackers, that can be used year-round.

”Snowflake Ritz,” said Swinehart, pointing to the boxes of snowflake-shaped crackers in her cart. ”We can still eat those.”

The week after Christmas typically represents 10 percent of holiday sales, with consumers redeeming gift cards and hunting for sale items, according to the National Retail Federation, a national retail trade organization.

This year, the National Retail Federation projects that holiday sales will increase 4.5 percent to $219.9 billion.

At G.I. Joe’s in Bend, store manager Dusty Harris said sales were brisk throughout the holiday season. Despite a slow start to Sunday’s post-Christmas sale, Harris said he expected business to pick up as the day progressed.

As Harris and another sales associate sat at a table helping customers with returns and exchanges, a steady trickle of snow-dusted shoppers picked through discounted sporting equipment, including snowboards and skis.

Shelly Himler of Bend said she and her husband got up early to take advantage of sales on ski equipment for their kids.

”We were expecting a big crowd, but I think a lot of people went up to the mountain,” said Himler, who said she thought local stores seemed more crowded this holiday season.

As parking lots continued to fill up at big box stores along Highway 97 on Sunday morning, small boutiques along Wall Street in downtown Bend were first preparing to open their doors.

At Hot Box Betty on Wall Street, Shelley Singer turned the sign in the store window to read ”open,” inviting shoppers inside the clothing and accessory boutique. A few people walked by outside drinking coffee, jogging and walking their dogs as Singer readied the store.

Singer said she didn’t know what kind of crowd might show on Sunday. None of the store merchandise had been marked down, she said.

”It could either be swamped or really casual,” said Singer. ”It’s a crapshoot.”

Alisa Weinstein can be reached at 541-504-2336 or at aweinstein@bendbulletin.com.