OVIEDO, Fla. – With online shipping deadlines in the rearview mirror, shoppers crowded into stores across Central Florida to buy last-minute gifts in time for Christmas.
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Hundreds of people began their Christmas Eve shopping at the Target on Red Bug Lake Road in Oviedo.
“Yes, I am cutting it close, but this is almost like a tradition for me,” Kurt Shoup said. “I just want to make sure everyone is happy on Christmas morning.”
Shoup said his family did most of their shopping online this year, but with a few presents still on the list, he decided to brave the crowds.
“It’s going to be terrible, to be honest,” Shoup said. “It’s going to be a zoo, so I’ve got to be patient.”
According to the National Retail Federation, online holiday shopping is expected to increase between 20 percent and 30 percent from 2019.
With more people shopping online this year, there has also been an increase in shipping delays.
The U.S. Postal Service said 75 percent of first-class mail is arriving on-time, compared to 90 percent at the same time last year.
“There was one item that’s not going to come in,” Shoup said. “It’s going to come in later, but that’s okay. I took a picture of it and it’s wrapped already.”
In addition to foot-traffic inside stores, parking lots were also busy with curbside pick-up.
The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales this year to increase between 3.6 and 5.2 percent over 2019.