LANSING, Mich. — Last-minute Christmas shoppers flooded stores, shopping centers and malls in mid-Michigan on Christmas Eve to find gifts the old-fashioned way.
Renee Canady knows all too well about fighting the temptation to shop for herself.
"Probably most of my shopping has been for me. It's really bad" She said.
She didn't forget the spirit of giving, although she does regret procrastinating a bit.
"I did wait to the last-minute to shop for my God-daughter who's younger and the item she wants is sold out," said Canady.
She wasn't alone. Many holiday procrastinators poured into JC-Penney hours before Jolly St. Nick goes down the chimney.
The National Retail Federation says 7% of people will hit stores this Christmas Eve during a strong economy. Higher wages and low unemployment means spending is expected to be up about 5% over last year.
"I heard there were some good deals at Penney's and everything was marked down. quite a bit more today than yesterday," said Bruce Macconerl, another last-minute shopper.
For Canady, waiting until the last minute was part procrastination and part purposeful.
"I'm not real good at keeping secrets so when I buy things way in advance, I tend to give them early. It's better for me to wait until the last-minute so i just have to keep myself quiet for one night," she said.
