Trussville businesses see spike in sales from last minute Christmas shopping

By Scott Minshall, CBS 42

TRUSSVILLE, Ala.–Christmas is just days away, and Alabamians are shopping for last minute gifts.

Many stores around central Alabama have extended their hours to prepare for a rise in business.

Sunday, CBS 42 caught up with a few shoppers and businesses about the trend of getting gifts at the last minute.

Steven Bates was on a mission to find the perfect gift for his son. Bates is just one of many who spent this weekend shopping for Christmas gifts. It’s a trend that Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce President Eddie Seal says happens every year.

“It’s been kind of surprising. It’s starting to slow down a little bit because the highways have been jammed,” Seal said.

That traffic is one of the reasons Chelsea Figureto avoided malls and brick and mortar stores while shopping this year.

“I did all my shopping on Amazon, so it just showed up the doorstep. So, I am all done and stress-free right now,” said Figureto.

Business owners say the uptick of those who do shop in person can help to hit sales targets for the year.

“It is really booming with the last-minute shoppers. It has been really busy, Saturdays and Sundays, it seems everyone is getting better and better,” said Craig Giattina, the owner of Grant’s Tools and Hobby Shop.