Things are NOT chaotic here at the Springfield Town Center on Christmas Eve morning. @WTOP pic.twitter.com/3vVJOD7JBj
— Kathy Stewart (@laxmax111) December 24, 2016
WASHINGTON — Even though Christmas comes around the same time every year, some people are still caught off guard.
Now, in the eleventh hour, they are heading out to get that Christmas shopping done.
For those who are either picking up a last-minute gift or who have not even started their Christmas shopping yet, know that many stores opened early Christmas Eve.
But, be warned that some stores, including Wal-Mart, will close early at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will not reopen until Monday. Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears and Best Buy also stay open until 6 p.m.
Target will stay open until 10 p.m. on Dec. 24, and Toys R Us stays open until 9 p.m. Walgreens locations will stay open until midnight (their 24-hour locations, obviously, will be open all night).
There’s also Amazon Prime now, which is available in Washington, Baltimore and 28 other metro areas. You can shop there online until 9:45 p.m. and get your delivery by midnight. While it doesn’t have Amazon’s full selection, it does provide essentials like food items and wrapping paper.
A common problem shoppers face when dashing around trying to get all their shopping done is going over budget. Drawing up a list beforehand is one way of cutting extraneous costs.
Some stores even offer free gift wrapping, which can save shoppers precious time and alleviate some stress, too.
If you are a last-minute shopper, know that gift cards make a good last minute gift; they are even available at local grocery stores.
According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 41 percent of people surveyed said that if they received gift cards for the holidays, they would watch out for great deals.
