No stress? Shoppers scramble for last-minute gifts

WOODBURN, Ore. - If you were at a mall Wednesday chances are you had a lot in common with the shopper next to you: Last-minute Christmas shopping.

Scott Dizmang didn’t start his shopping for 20 people until Wednesday – two days before Christmas – but he’s not stressed.

“I think they’re just realizing that it’s not so important we get the biggest and best and what’s new,” he said at Woodburn Company Stores. “It’s like, let’s just realize we have this time together and just enjoy the little things.”

Another shopper, Shirley Earnhart, has 25 grandchildren to shop for who range in age from 30 to newborn; fortunately, she has already purchased gifts for 23 of them.

“I’ve wrapped everything except just a couple because I got the wrong sizes,” Earnhart said. “I saw them (grandchildren) yesterday at college [and] they gained a little weight.”

The Christmas spirit of joy and humor seemed to be with many shoppers. Carissa Platt, when asked what it’s like to shop for five last-minute presents said: “Um, we got my mom’s credit card, so it’s not that bad.”

Besides, there’s an upside to waiting to the last minute.

At The Gap Generation the store manager, Jeanne Pomeroy, showed off some of the markdowns on clothes made Wednesday morning as stores like hers looked to move merchandise off shelves before January. A pair of jeans that were once $44.99 was marked down to $14.99.

She agreed that those who waited to shop got rewarded. Pomeroy also said she is seeing an increase in sales from last year because there’s no snow or ice storm this year to keep shoppers at home.

Others said they found procrastinating beneficial because it’s easier to find a gift with the clock ticking.

“When you have a lot of time, you really look and you take your time finding the right thing,” said Dan Barnes who was shopping for his wife. “But last-minute shopping, you get in and you get out.”

Outside the Woodburn Company Stores Wednesday night there was plenty of parking but it was deceiving because there were still long lines at the registers.