BOSTON (CBS) -  Malls were packed on the day after Christmas as customers returned or exchanged gifts and some others took advantage of the year-end deals.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Bernice Corpuz reports

If you think finding a parking space was hard on the days before Christmas, the day after Christmas was just as tricky.

The highway ramps leading to the Burlington Mall were packed and at Legacy Place in Dedham, the traffic wasn’t bad but it was busier than usual.

Business owners hope to make up for the sluggish shopping season in the days before the end of the year.

The 2012 shopping season was the worst since 2008.

Experts think bad weather, the November election and the tragedy in Newtown Connecticut contributed to the slow shopping season this year.