Procrastinators Still Have Hours To Shop And Some Will Wait Until The Convenience Store Is The Only Option

Talk about last minute.

If you’re not done shopping yet, you have until early this evening to find that special something for your mom or aunt, or maybe even your wife.

And, if you really get desperate, there’s always 7-Eleven - open until 11 p.m. tonight and all day on Christmas.

Last year, Christmas shoppers dashed into the 7-Eleven store on Garland to buy last-minute plastic toys, candy and other stocking stuffers, said Dale Glubrecht, the assistant manager.

The shopping situation didn’t quite hit panic mode Saturday, but a few procrastinators already felt the rush at malls and stores all over the Spokane area.

“It’s been nuts,” lamented Sandi Young as she hunted for presents at the General Store on North Division. With three sons in tow, Young maneuvered her blue shopping cart through the aisles to pick up socks and other items for the family. “You can’t get through the place.”

Despite the slush on the ground, shoppers like Young got bundled up and went out in droves to find Christmas gifts. The parking lots of several Division Street stores were packed with snow-covered vehicles, all waiting for the next available parking space.

Inside the General Store, shoppers checked out everything from fleece gloves and fishing poles to lava lamps and paintball guns, as they listened to the whiny melodies of “A Chipmunk Christmas” playing in the background.

“No, I think he already has a holster,” said one shopper, heading toward the gun section.

“Hey, if we can find gifts for the girls here, even better,” said another.

The store sold out of deer and elk hunting videos this week, said co-owner Bill Barany. All that’s left are the wild turkey ones, he said. People have plucked up sleeping bags, scooters, camping lanterns any gift imaginable, he said.

“You’re in the fun house,” Barany said. “You can choose from more than a thousand things.”

At Rite Aid downtown, store employees are seeing a lot of guys 35 or older picking up cologne and perfume, said Dan Miller, the store manager.

Stocking stuffers - from crayons and bubble bath to lip gloss in flavors like sugar plum and strawberry cheesecake - seemed to be a favorite at area stores.

Anjela Paje is the type who Christmas shops all year long, and she won’t hesitate to purchase a last-minute gift if it’s the right one for the right person. Christmas wrap was the only thing she planned to buy Saturday, but was nevertheless scanning the aisles for even more potential gifts.

Bud Ragland of Spokane had the same attitude. He’s done Christmas shopping, he said, but “if something catches my eye, I’ll buy it.”