Many New Yorkers snapped up last-minute gifts on the eve of Christmas, an annual tradition for people who never seem to be able to finish their holiday shopping on time. NY1's Grace Rauh reports from the Atlantic Terminal Mall in Brooklyn.
The holiday rush can induce panic, but some people insist they actually enjoy it.
"I like to do what I call combat Christmas shopping," said one shopper. "That way, you get to jostle with the old people for the last Christmas sale."
Shopping on Christmas Eve is indeed stressful for some, especially when it involves squeezing in a trip to the mall. But for many New Yorkers, it's the only way to make it through their holiday to-do list.
"This is my day off," said one shopper. "I am shopping. I am cooking. I am doing everything."
Rauh: How many people did you have to shop for?
Shopper: Four. I ended up - sometimes, you say, "Well maybe I'll get them later on." And then I ended up getting everyone today. Now I am rushing back to work.
For one woman, her visit to the mall was not as hectic as she feared.
"I thought it would be some elbows, pushing and, you know, diving and stuff, but it's not that bad," she said.
And then, of course, there are the people who promise themselves this is the last time they wait to hit the stores.
"That's going to be my new thing next year, just do things earlier," said one shopper.
Not everyone wants to join in. One Target employee told us that he thinks Christmas Eve shoppers resemble zombies as they zero in on the perfect gift.
"It looks like the Walking Dead inside sometimes, like, 'Oh, I need toys,'" the Target employee said. "It's ridiculous."
Last-minute shopping may be a mixed bag for New Yorkers but it's a good thing for brick-and-mortar stores. It's one day when they aren't competing against online retailers for customers.