Holiday shopping not finished? You’re not alone

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Stores along South Congress Ave. were filled with shoppers Sunday afternoon looking to snag some last-minute Christmas gifts before Wednesday.

“I normally try really hard to plan out what I'm gonna get, and then I like, panic and buy things so last minute, and I'm worried about not getting enough,” said Janine Roberts, who was shopping with her family. 

 While this may be a stressful way to head into the holiday, the National Retail Federation said it is not uncommon. 

The organization said per its annual survey it estimated 157.2 million people would head to the shops on the Saturday before Christmas. That number is up around 15 million people from 2024, according to NRF. 

NRF said the number of shoppers might be elevated due to the timeframe between Thanksgiving and Christmas being shorter in 2024 than in 2023. 

And while the number of people who choose to shop online exclusively for holiday gifts ticks up each year, concern over whether items will show up on time may necessitate going in person to get the job done. 

“It's certainly been busy,” said George Nesvitt, a retail associate at Howler Brothers. 

“We just closed our window in terms of when we can get clothes shipped to homes,” he continued. “A lot of people have been coming into stores to do Christmas shopping.”