Retailers get a late Christmas present

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Procrastinators hunting for last-minute gifts packed area malls and stores yesterday, a Christmas present for retailers whose sales have been modest thus far this shopping season.

With yesterday being a federal holiday and many offices closed, consumers had extra incentive to procrastinate in addition to the usual end-of-season discounts.

And the steady stream of business yesterday may be the break retailers needed.

"This could be one of the busiest Christmas Eves we've ever had," said Scott Krugman, a spokesman for the National Retail Federation (NRF), an industry trade group.

While weather in the Washington area was not a factor yesterday, it likely will hurt the bottom line for retailers in the Midwest, which was blasted by a winter storm Thursday.

The NRF projects holiday sales will increase 4.5 percent this year to $219.9 billion.

As of last Sunday, the average consumer had completed nearly 82 percent of holiday shopping. However, 12 million consumers had not even started shopping, according to the NRF.

Many of them flocked to Westfield Shoppingtown Montgomery in Bethesda yesterday. The parking lots were filled with motorists -- some cheery and others not so jolly -- stalking shoppers heading to their cars in scarce spaces.

Inside, the mall was bustling with people, too. Some shoppers were eyeing the popular IPods at the Apple Store. In the 15-person line at KB Toys, customers were snapping up everything from dolls and games to remote-control cars.

Jewell Thornton, said she shops on Christmas Eve because she's a procrastinator, but it also helps put her in the holiday spirit.