FRACKVILLE - The Schuylkill Mall was crowded Sunday afternoon as shoppers still had to pick up a few gifts on their Christmas lists.
Cindy Powanda, Mechanicsville, Nicole Cornell, Port Carbon, and Bonnie Williams, New Philadelphia, had a shopping cart filled with gifts and other things for themselves as they were "hopefully" finishing their holiday shopping.
Powanda said the stores have restocked their shelves for one last shopping rush before Christmas and there were crafts and other gift stands scattered throughout the mall.
"The center of the mall has a lot of attractions," Cornell said. "There's a lot of special deals, too."
Williams said Sunday was the first time she was able to pick up gifts without her husband there.
"There's even some better deals than there was on Black Friday," Williams said.
Cornell said they like to shop locally and support the businesses.
"I just wish it was snowing. That would make it more interesting," Williams said.
Janet Rarick, Hometown, was shopping Sunday at The Bon-Ton with her son, Tyrone.
"Time has been a problem," Rarick said. "We're usually done really early."
Rarick said Sunday was the first time she could shop with Tyrone because he is always working with his dad.
"I'd rather be working," Tyrone said as he was holding shopping bags.
Janet Rarick said lines have been long at some stores but the mall was less hectic than in Hazleton.
"That's why we like coming here," she said.
Michael and Ashley Flickinger, Port Carbon, were also at The Bon-Ton on Sunday with their 3-week-old son, Jaxon, who was wearing a reindeer outfit. The couple said they had most of their shopping done already and they were just looking for some smaller gifts Sunday for their children.
"We are actually good planners," Ashley Flickinger said.
She said the worst part about the last-minute shopping was the parking.
"It's not something we want to do again," Ashley Flickinger said.
"I hate it," Michael Flickinger said.
"As a younger family, we are still learning these things," Ashley Flickinger said.
According to a holiday study by the National Retail Federation, the average person has completed 56.5 percent of their shopping, up from the 46.5 percent this time last year and the highest percentage in the survey's 10-year history. Still, just 11.3 percent of Americans said they have completely wrapped up their lists.