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Shoppers Head Out for Last Minute Gifts on Christmas Eve

Many malls across North Texas will be closing early Christmas Eve and won't reopen until the day after Christmas

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With hours to go until Christmas Day, some shoppers are using every minute they’ve got left.

Several malls across North Texas are closing early Christmas Eve after weeks of extended hours. At Grapevine Mills, shoppers like Abigail Trejo of Lewisville were making exchanges on gifts.

“There’s a lot of people, so it’s been busy,” Trejo said.

Greg Horn of Denton said overall, the mall was busier last week. Horn started most of his shopping Tuesday.

“I worked all weekend, so I didn’t have time to do all my Christmas shopping,” he said. “Usually Christmas Eve, I’m off work so that’s when I get time to do it. Plus I’m a last minute kind of guy.”

Others like Rutha Crittenden of Dallas say they enjoy the last minute crowds.

“A lot of times you can see what everyone is buying and then it gives me an idea on people are looking for,” Crittenden said. “So if you say 'hmm,' if you can’t make up your mind…[then] you know.”

Even some who finished their Christmas shopping well before Christmas Eve found themselves at the mall Tuesday. Chris and Beth Amidon say they were shopping for themselves, but also kept an eye out for anything they may have missed for other people.

“Really, it’s just the excitement of Christmas. I mean, if we’re all done and we’ve kind of lost that hustle and bustle kind of feeling where people get excited looking for that gift,” Beth Amidon said. “So that’s what we’re doing, getting that last feel of Christmas.”

Many malls across North Texas are closing at 6 p.m. Tuesday and won’t reopen until after Christmas, along with major retailers.

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