Last minute Christmas shopping brings retail boom

DAYTON, Ohio — Attention Santa watchers near and far: it’s Christmas Eve, and time is ticking.

If you haven’t checked off all the items on your list, have no fear…you still have some time and options probably really close to home.

When it comes to last-minute holiday shopping, everyone is looking for something.

“We’re doing stocking stuffer shopping,” said Hannah Miller. “It’s one of our favorite parts of Christmas, just lots of little fun things that add a lot of fun to their Christmas morning.”

“Everything! Everything last minute. All the toys, all the stocking stuffers, all the stuff for my husband shhh,” said shopper Kim Storck.

Spectrum News 1 stopped by Discount Drug Mart to see what the hot items were for last minute gifts. 

“We do have wine rebates where we sell cases of wine for the holidays, that’s a big seller,” said store manager David Shelton.

Shelton has been working in retail for 25 years and knows a thing or two about last minute shopping.

He doesn’t lead from an office, in fact he gets about 20,000 steps a day just in the store.  

“People come to Drug Mart to buy something they wouldn’t think of buying,” he said. “We carry just about everything you can imagine. If we don’t carry it, most people say you don’t need it.”

Shelton said the final days and hours leading up to the holidays are very busy …think the Superbowl of retail for all kinds of things.

“Kids just opened their toys on Christmas morning and Mom or Dad forgot batteries. Well, guess what, we’re open on Christmas Day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Shelton said. “We’re open 10 hours for the customer’s needs. The little kids that might get sick and need cough and cold medicine, we have it.”

He said some of the biggest sellers right now are stocking stuffers.

“Lipsticks or chopsticks, different season lotions,” he said.

You can also add toilet paper, hardware, clothing and even groceries to the list.

“If somebody forgot butter or milk or heavy whipping cream, they can come and get it. We’re here, we’re open for you. We don’t close down,” Shelton said.

Along with having some impressive ‘open’ hours, Discount Drug Mart is Ohio based and an employee-owned company. 

“We don’t have a high turnover,” Shelton said. “So they see the same faces every day, every week, every month, basically every year.”

“I’m sort of a last minute person to begin with, and if you notice everybody here is really cheerful believe it or not,” Storck said. “Everyone’s in the Christmas spirit.”