Overview
- Reports from Florida, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Chicago described packed malls, crowded parking lots and steady in‑store buying as procrastinators wrapped up gift lists.
- Snow in Maine kept crowds lighter at the Maine Mall in South Portland, underscoring how severe weather tempered the rush in parts of the Northeast.
- Clothing and electronics were top sellers, with many shoppers targeting clearance racks and holiday markdowns as a reason to wait until the final day.
- Retailers loaded up daytime staffing and some workers described heavy workloads, while delivery shoppers such as DoorDash reported one of their busiest weeks for gifts and groceries.
- Many malls closed at 6 p.m. and Target operated until 8 p.m., as Visa and Mastercard data showed roughly 4% holiday spending growth and the National Retail Federation projected sales topping $1 trillion.