NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Christmas gifting was saved for thousands of last-minute Christmas Eve shoppers at Lakeside Mall in Metairie.
It seems even Santa Claus waits until the final hours to check his list twice.
Hundreds were seen waiting in lines, presumably thinking the same thing as Jailyn Kendrick.
“I should have did this earlier,” Kendrick laughed.
Kendrick is visiting with her family from Georgia.
She says she spent most of her mall time in the Apple Store but managed to squeeze in a few extra shopping stops.
“I went into Zara and a couple of other stores doing some last-minute shopping,” Kendrick said. “All the deals are getting gone because it’s so busy.”
Lisbeth Osorto runs a vendor cart at the mall.
“It’s been crazy,” Osorto said. “People coming up all day, looking for last-minute gifts.”
Keshawn Jackson was shopping for her grandkids.
“The lines are moving fast,” Jackson said. “They’re putting extra people at the register to help you get in and out quickly.”
Even the ‘big man up north’ made a last-minute stop at Lakeside Mall.
Dozens of kids lined up for their last few seconds of facetime with Santa Claus before he loads up his sleigh and takes to the skies.
“I asked for a Barbie Dream House,” said one little girl. “A pool, a slide, a bathroom, and a room, and a kitchen, and a living room.”
When it comes to Santa, the more specific, the better.
“Everyone’s been pretty good about everything, you know, there’s no stealing or anything,” Osorto said. “Everything’s good.”
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputies were seen proactively patrolling the mall to keep crowds calm.
At a time when you never truly know what the shopper next to you is going through, the last-minute shopping frenzy still helped bring Christmas joy to many.
“I recently lost my husband, a couple of days ago, but it felt good to get out and see everybody,” Jackson said. “The mall felt real safe and peaceful. I got everything I need.”
Metairie shoppers weren’t alone. The National Retail Federation reports more than 142 million consumers shopped on the final holiday weekend.
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