Amherst, NY (WBEN) 'Tis the day before Christmas and all through the malls, many last minute shoppers are strolling the halls.
If you're not working on this Christmas Eve day, you're probably shopping. Just look at traffic patterns across the Buffalo-Niagara region and any traffic snarls tend to lead to the malls and major shopping centers where the nervous last minute shoppers are converging for thos final decisions and purchases.
WBEN caught up with a few in the last-minute pack Wednesday as time ticks away on finding that perfect gift.
There is something to be said for last minute shopping and some deals that come along with it, according to Christopher Newman, associate professor of marketing at the University of Mississippi.
“Shoppers can increase the chance that they get the right product at the best price by shopping in store, rather than online, just before Christmas,” Newman said in an email.
“This ensures that they aren’t limited to choosing from just the products that could ship in time for the holiday.”
The fact that you’ve waited to shop until the final days before Christmas doesn’t surprise retailers. Newman says they know many shoppers delay, so they offer last-minute savings opportunities.
Be on the lookout for these types of promotions and they may be spur-of-the-moment “flash sales” that happen without notice.
Good luck!