JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As Christmas draws near, it’s clear that many holiday shoppers are leaving things to the last minute. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to grab those perfect gifts.
Shoppers flooded St. Johns Town Center on Thursday, racing to complete their holiday shopping just hours before Christmas.
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Nekia Jackson, who was at the mall Thursday, said the crowds didn’t seem as overwhelming this year.
“This is about normal, I think—normal rush. It was a little crazy the other night when I was out here. This is actually very mild,” Jackson said.
She told us she’s used to the holiday rush and this year, things felt more manageable than in previous years.
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Meanwhile, Victoria Beers shared her own strategy for tackling the holiday shopping madness.
“I’ve been prepping for months, but thought I wasn’t gonna be here today, but here I am,” Beers admitted. Despite months of planning, she still found herself at the mall on Christmas Eve.
“I think doing it in the morning seems to be working out better versus doing the late-night shopping when everybody else is off of work,” she added.
Victoria’s decision to shop early aligns with trends observed nationwide. According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 157.2 million people planned to shop on Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas.
This is an increase from last year’s 141.9 million and marks the second-highest number on record, just behind 2022′s 158.5 million shoppers.
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For Beers, getting an early start made all the difference. She said the key to avoiding stress during the holiday shopping rush is timing.
“My niece went shopping last night, and she said it was absolutely nuts,” Beers said. “So, I decided to stay home and wait it out till this morning to hit the shopping.”
As people finished their workday, foot traffic at St. Johns Town Center picked up.
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