With many Americans taking Friday off work, the dash to return the unwanteds on the day after Christmas is expected to be especially frenetic. ShopperTrak is predicting Friday to be the second busiest shopping day of the year in terms of traffic, after last Saturday.

"Shoppers may want to wait until Saturday or Sunday, because Friday is expected to be a very busy returns day," said Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org.

Nearly 40 percent of consumers are expected to return at least one of their holiday gifts, according to the National Retail Federation.

The good news is that consumers want and are in many cases getting more liberal return policies, said retail analyst Sanford "Sandy" Stein, author of the book, "Retail Schmetail." Retailers are making the experience easier this year by extending their return periods or adding postage-free return shipping.

Sears, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and Staples all extended their return windows. Some online stores now offer to pay return postage for items ordered, including Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Saks and Neiman Marcus (all with some exclusions), Amazon (certain apparel items only), and Target, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Nordstrom and Von Maur (all storewide). "Smart retailers will also allow online purchases to be returned to the store to demonstrate their best omnichannel behavior," said Stein.

Retailers also will be on guard. The hubbub over excessive returns has died down but not gone away. Return fraud is expected to cost retailers $3.8 billion during the holiday season this year, nearly 6 percent of holiday returns, according to the federation.

Consumers who are asked for an ID, which is then swiped through a scanner or a reader, are probably having returns tracked by the retailer, said Dworsky. Generally, the scanners are used only when a customer does not have a receipt, but some retailers may ask for an ID even with a receipt. In the past, stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Staples, Victoria's Secret, Sports Authority and Express have used systems. Wal-Mart, for example, will flag a return if a customer has returned more than three items without a receipt in a 45-day period. The system will then require a manager to approve the return.

Experts recommend using the original receipt if the recipient wants cash back. Gift receipts rarely allow for more than an exchange or store credit. For best results, return the item in new condition with tags attached, all packing materials and a sales or gift receipt.

Clothing retailers usually offer the most liberal return policies because of apparel's high profit margins. Anthropologie, Herberger's, Kohl's, L.L. Bean, Lands' End, Macy's, Nordstrom, Penney's, REI, Von Maur and Zappos generally allow returns for up to one year or longer. L.L. Bean, Lands' End, Nordstrom and REI go one step further and allow full refunds for worn items.

Stores that sell electronics have had to restrict returns because of fraud and models that quickly become outdated. Although stores may extend the return period during the holidays, most policies extend from 14 to 90 days. Even Costco, which allows returns for any reason at any time on most items, restricts the return period on TVs, computers and cameras to 90 days.

The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota reminds shoppers that retailers are not required to accept returns. If a store's policy is "all sales final," that is acceptable as long as the retailer has prominently posted its policy in the store or on the receipt. Consumers who discover that an item is defective can ask for a replacement or store credit.

Once the returns are done, consumers also can take advantage of post-Christmas sales on toys, apparel and anything with a holiday theme. But hard-core bargain hunters usually wait until January when discount percentages rise to 70 percent or more, according to Dealnews.com, a website for bargain hunters.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 and Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113