Holiday shoppers flocked to stores in downtown Chicago and the suburbs on Monday, as the final countdown to Christmas began. With only two days until the holiday, many shoppers found themselves in a last-minute scramble for gifts. However, some embraced the pressure. Arabelle Ruscitti, for example, explained, “It’s better to do it that way because you can’t change your mind, but if you buy stuff ahead of time, you just get so fickle.” She brought along her 2-year-old puppy, Goliath, and her daughter, who had flown in from the West Coast, for moral support. Her daughter, Carina, admitted, “I did all my shopping already because I’m not a last-minute shopper. I’m just here to hang out.”
Despite the weather, panicked gift-givers still flocked to Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie to complete their holiday shopping. Mall general manager Megan Akers reported, “We’ve been busy as soon as we opened this morning. We have extended hours to accommodate all the last-minute shopping needs of our shoppers.” While some retailers offered deals, most last-minute shoppers prioritized simply finishing their shopping. For those who hadn’t finished their shopping on Monday, there was always the following day.