Dec 22, 2010

Last-minute shoppers continue to stream into storesBy Jackie AlexanderGainesville.com

With just two shopping days before Christmas, cash registers are still ringing as gift-givers scour shelves for the perfect present.

Shoppers will find stores more than accommodating — with more clerks, longer hours and deep discounts.

The number of people waiting until the tail end of the gift season has shrunk slightly, according to the National Retail Federation. About half the people surveyed by the trade group responded that by mid-December they hadn’t finished their holiday shopping. Some 37 million people hadn’t even started shopping.

“It’s well-known that at least half of the shopping that occurs during the holiday season happens during the last few weeks, making the final stretch of utmost importance to retailers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a news release.

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