Christmas Eve is often dubbed the “Super Bowl” for procrastinating holiday shoppers. The last-minute rush adds extra stress, particularly when navigating large crowds. This was evident at Queens Center Mall on Tuesday, where shoppers scrambled to find those final gifts before Christmas Day. “We start going through the list, we start wrapping gifts and then you realize, wait a second, I missed somebody, or I think I should get them something else, so that’s what happens,” explained shopper Jessica Zayas.
The mall, open from 8 a.m., anticipated a surge in shoppers as the day progressed and time ran short. Many stores offered last-minute deals and bargains. Queens native Jeremiah Funk shared his shopping experience: “I got a couple gifts for my family,” he said. “I got a (Juan) Soto jersey for my dad – big Mets fan. Soto to the Mets! I got my brother a Central hoodie. I’m looking for a couple gifts for my mom. For the rest of my family, you know?” When asked about his late shopping spree, Funk replied, “Ah, you know I’m busy. Time crunching and you get a couple deals, you know, maybe they’re trying to sell something for a little cheaper, so you know, I had to come out here and see what they got.”
Business owners were also eager to capitalize on the last-minute shoppers. “Everyone is looking for last-minute gifts today, so we’re just trying to make sure everyone has what they want,” said Shayna Salomon of ILY Clothing. Queens Center Mall closed on Christmas Day, planning to reopen on Thursday, likely facing another large crowd of shoppers returning unwanted gifts.
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