Last Minute Shopping Christmas Eve South Shore Plaza Massachusetts

A quiet morning is expected to be followed by waves of shoppers trying to find those last minute gifts on Christmas Eve.

Consumers may say they’re feeling low because of world affairs and inflation, but according to experts, it’s not slowing their spending.

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The National Retail Federation is expecting holiday shopping sales to hit record numbers, up about 4% over last year, for a total of more than $957 billion dollars. Online sales are included in that calculation, with an estimated increase of up to 9%, which comes to more than $273 billion.

Some retailers, like Walmart and Amazon, will extend return windows during the holidays. But make sure you know the policy if you're gifting a big purchase like electronics, which may have different rules!

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According to the U.S. News and World report, 35% of shoppers are still looking for that perfect gift, 16% say they always wait until the last minute, 10% just don't like shopping and 5% percent recently activated a new credit card.

“I came in a couple times before to get some presents and I was like you know I’ll just wait until a couple of days before Christmas. I shouldn’t have done that," Isabella Alburquerque said.

“I think it’s more for the excitement for us. The last minute. Coming here was easier than I thought. We waited till the last minute for a good thing,” Isabel Lara added.

In Massachusetts, South Shore Plaza opens early at 8 a.m. for all your last minute shopping needs.