Bay Area shoppers getting last-minute gifts ahead of Christmas
TAMPA, Fla. - Shoppers are scrambling to get last-minute gifts now that Hanukkah has already begun and Christmas is around the corner.
Target stores across the Bay Area are open until midnight all week to give last-minute shoppers enough time to get what they need. Some people say they’re taking full advantage as their list of things to get keeps growing.
"I think I grabbed everything. It’s like my niece, my nephew, next thing you know, mom, dad, brother-in-law, it never stops," said Krystal Santos, who was shopping for stocking stuffers at Target on West Gandy Boulevard.
Shoppers tell FOX 13 they prefer looking for stuff online because of convenience, but now that Christmas is around the corner, nothing would arrive on time.
Shoppers are taking advantage of the stores that are open late and have a variety of things to buy. But that’s if stuff is still on the shelves this late in the game.
"Inventory is spotty at best because when we looked online, we came and spoke to some of the professionals that were here, and they said, ‘Well, we just ran out of that, or we may just be getting it in, but it’s not on the show floor yet.' So, a little chaotic, a little hectic," said Tony Thomas, who says he’s making his rounds from store to store trying to find what he needs before Christmas.
Some shopping trends have surprised industry experts because, despite inflation, consumers are still spending money on gifts.
Online sales are up compared to last year.
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Some shoppers say they need to do what they need to do despite things being more expensive than in years past.
"I feel like, for the holidays, I just try not to look at my bank account. I try to ignore it, and I’ll deal with the consequences later," said Santos.
Budgets haven’t seemed to change and that’s not just reflected by online sales.
Industry experts say there has been a lot more in-person shopping than expected.
"What you find is that you don’t have much control when you do it online," Thomas said, "but when you do walk into the store, you get a little bit more control back because you can actually see it, and you can touch it, and you don’t have to worry about returns if you don’t like it."