Formerly Snowed-In Holiday Shoppers Rush The Stores
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Saturday without snow allowed consumers to catch up on their Christmas shopping. Winter weather in early December kept many people in their homes and turned almost everyone into a last-minute shopper.
"I don't have everything done," said shopper Cindy Wells.
"We feel like if we don't get it done today, we're not going to get it done before the season ends," said Robb Lutz, searching for the last gift on his list.
Consumers who ventured out to the Mall of America had to deal with traffic jams and long lines.
"It was a madhouse out there and it's probably going to be a madhouse right up until about 10 o'clock tonight," said Lutz.
Retailers noticed that this year, there's already a sense of urgency that's usually left for Christmas Eve. They're also noticing that consumers are spending more money, despite the troubled economy.
"They know what they want and they are looking just for what they need and they are moving quick," said Julie Varney of iCandylicious' new location in the Mall of America.
Retailers are welcoming the rush, after taking such a hit during the last weekend's blizzard.
"We were hoping we were going to pick up that business from last week to this week," said Robert Solberg of Ultra Diamonds in the Mall of America.
The Mall of America is keeping shoppers up to date on parking by sending out tweets through Twitter.
WCCO-TV's Rachel Slavik Reports
