Time Runs Out For Procrastinators Shopping Before Christmas
Posted December 24, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Monday morning came, and now it’s long gone.
With it the final day of shopping before Christmas came and went in a flurry, as jammed malls overflowed with procrastinators looking for those final few purchases.
The purchases were fast and furious according to a report by BMO Bank of Montreal, which suggests that at peak shopping time, between 2pm and 3pm Monday afternoon, credit and debit cards were swiped through machines at a rate of about 100 per second.
“The last few days before Christmas typically make or break the entire year for large and small retailers,” said BMO Bank of Montreal spokesperson Nancy Marescotti in a statement.
Some stores, like certain locations of The Bay and Wal-Mart, were open 24 hours leading up to Christmas. That made a big difference for last-minute shoppers, who were there after hours checking off items on their gift lists. Unfortunately, for those who hadn’t found the right gift by about 6pm, time had pretty much run out.
“I’ve gotten my family shopping done but we’re kind of doing shopping for our friends as well,” said David, adding that the stores were quieter in the later hours. “This is great! Compared to the packed shopping, this is like heaven.”
And Phil adds, “The work schedule is kind of hectic. So for shopping and (stores) open 24 hours, can’t say no.”
BMO Bank of Montreal estimates they’ll have processed a whopping 26 million debit card transactions and 28 million credit card transactions by December’s end, an 11 per cent and 18 per cent increase, respectively, over the average for the other 11 months.
But Monday wasn’t just stressful for shoppers, it was also a hectic occasion for those on the other side of counters everywhere.
“Just stay calm and do your thing,” was the only advice Best Buy employee Rakshanda Ahmed had when it came to how to deal with long lineups and agitating shoppers. “It’s not our fault that you’re shopping last minute.”
But believe it or not, there was even some hope for those that couldn’t get everything done by dusk Monday. Some Shoppers Drug Marts will be open overnight into Christmas and the Pacific Mall in Markham will be open on Christmas day.
As for everyone else: you can catch them back in line on Wednesday, when Boxing Day rolls around and the shopping blitz continues.
What’s open and closed over the holidays?
