The streets of Lawrence were still snow covered on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, but a few brave souls ventured out on Massachuetts Street. Snow collected in the center of the street created a median in the road.

Large hordes of day-after-Christmas shoppers were replaced by large piles of snow in downtown Lawrence on Saturday as some area retailers reported light business on a traditionally busy shopping day.

Jessica Hoffman, an employee at Britches Clothing Co., 843 Mass., blamed the weather.

“Since the weather, it hasn’t gone at all,” she said. “(Normally) we’re swamped.”

Shoppers were difficult to spot downtown, but that was due in part to the large piles of snow plowed into street medians. On some streets, the piles in the medians reached up to 5 feet high.

“It’s impressive,” said Lawrence resident Barb Stephens. “I think it’s kind of fun.”

Bill Alexander, shopping with his family downtown Saturday, had to cancel a trip to Florida because of the weather.

Though he had planned on being in a warmer climate, he wasn’t bothered by having to trek over a 3-foot snow pile while crossing Massachusetts Street.

“What else are they going to do with it?” he said. “It just adds to the ambiance.”

Some retailers were thankful for the adventurous shoppers like Alexander.

“We’re glad we came in today,” said Win Campbell at the Winfield House, 835 Mass. Despite the weather, he said his store did “about the same” amount of business Saturday as it usually does on the day after Christmas.

At the Toy Store, 936 Mass., owner Margaret Warner said the snow actually helped purchases of certain products.

Warner said the store saw a spike in purchases of winter-weather items, such as old-fashioned sleds. And those shoppers who did brave the weather didn’t come in just to look.

“(We saw) fewer browsers, but more serious shoppers,” she said.