Although Christmas is over, many bargain hunters in the Bronx and throughout the country headed out to the stores Friday in search of post-holiday sales.

In Soundview, shoppers lined up in front of a large department store long before the doors were open, recalling images of Black Friday. Some retailers slashed their prices by up to 50 percent, prompting customers to make purchases rather then return unwanted gifts like in previous years.

With the national economy in recession, some shoppers say they have deliberately waited to start their holiday shopping until the day after Christmas.

?I read it online that there were bigger sales after the holidays, so I told my cousins to be patient,? says Hannah Kalu. ?They would get their gifts by the end of the week.?

Stores managers are hoping the post-Christmas discounts will boost sagging profits, but it will be known only on Jan. 8, when retailers report the final sales results.