Herald Square full on Christmas Eve as holiday shoppers race to finish line
NEW YORK -- Hours before heading to their Christmas Eve gatherings, some people in New York City waited in checkout lines to finish up their holiday shopping.
With their hands full and their wallets not empty yet, shoppers packed Herald Square on Sunday.
Tamika White, from St. Louis, said she still needed gifts for some people.
Shops like Macy's understand, and promoted last-minute deals.
- Related story: Thousands line up outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan for Christmas Eve Mass
The National Retail Federation expected shoppers to spend an average of $875 on gifts and seasonal items this year, 5% more than last year.
"I mean, nothing is gonna come through the mail on time. So you might as well just run outside," said Sam Brewer, from Hell's Kitchen.
Shoppers had different reasons for not getting all their gifts sooner.
"You know, life happens. Work and other activities," said Juan Ayala, from Bushwick.
"We were traveling. So lots of gifts were not bought," said White.
Up to this point, many stores were open late to accommodate procrastinating shoppers. Some shifted their holiday hours to open and close earlier, putting pressure on shoppers.
"We planned around it. That's why we went out early. Around 10, 7 to 10 a.m. we're already walking around," said Joelle Jamberty, from California.
"I do it every year, poor planning every year," said White.
The most popular gift categories according to the National Retail Federation are clothing, gift cards and toys.