'Super Saturday' shopping day kicks off final shopping sprint

Last-minute Christmas shoppers expected in droves through next week

Shoppers relax in armchairs as others walk past at Hamilton Place Mall on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. This weekend is one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.
Shoppers relax in armchairs as others walk past at Hamilton Place Mall on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. This weekend is one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

Shopping safety tips

› Lock your car, note where you parked› Arrange a time and place to meet companions› Teach children their full name, and your own› Keep children close at all time› Carry current photos of your children› Guard personal items and packages› Be aware of your surrounding, report anything suspicious to mall security› Walk to your car with purpose, with keys in-hand, lock your doors when inside› Ask for assistance if neededSource: CBL & Associates Properties Inc.

The Cahill kids weren't prepared to give away their secrets at Hamilton Place mall on Friday.

Two days fresh out of school for Christmas break, the three siblings - Gage, Cadyn and Sidney - hit the busy mall with their grandparents to shop for mom.

What did they get her?

"It's white," Cadyn said.

It may even be sparkly, but that's privileged information. And it will remain a closely held secret for the next six days.

"I'm hiding this in my room, like I always do," said Gage, of the gift he picked out.

The Cahills aren't alone in wrapping up their Christmas shopping. Going into the last weekend before Christmas, an estimated 226 million holiday shoppers still have things to buy, according to National Retail Federation estimates.

That's 90 percent of all American holiday shoppers, heading either out to stores or online. Traditionally, the last weekend before Christmas rivals Black Friday as the busiest single shopping day or stretch of the year.

And this is shaping up to be a good one. Spending watch group ShopperTrak estimates today will be the second-busiest day of the Christmas and New Year's holiday shopping season, which dwarfs all other shopping holidays in the U.S.

Locally, there are a couple of factors at play, including weeks of warmer-than-usual temperatures and a steady uptick in online shopping.

Catharine Wells, marketing director at CBL & Associates Properties, which owns and operates Hamilton Place and Northgate Mall, said weather has especially been an influencing factor this year.

"With the warmer weather that we've had, people don't realize that Christmas is less than a week away," she said Friday.

While the mall doesn't employ traffic counters anymore, Wells said mall officials keep an eye on the parking lot, which is a good barometer for foot traffic. Friday afternoon, cars jockeyed for spots in and around the mall, and traffic on Shallowford and Gunbarrel roads backed up at times to a standstill.

Wells said mall officials anticipate a lot of traffic today.

"We anticipate this weekend to be a little busier than a typical weekend before Christmas," she said.

Meanwhile, online retailers also have seen positive growth this year, and strong online sales are expected to keep delivery drivers busy all next week. According to sales analysis by First Data, a data technology firm, online sales are up 4.6 percent this year over last, while brick-and-mortar sales are up only 2 percent.

Online sales are expected to hit a total $105 billion this shopping season, according to the retail federation. Holiday sales overall are expected to hit $630.5 billion this year.

UPS hired an extra 95,000 seasonal employees this year to help handle the shipping demands of a strong online sales season - up 10 percent over last year - which was compressed because of a late Thanksgiving. There were only 28 shopping days and 19 shipping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, according to the carrier.

On Dec. 22, expected to be the busiest shipping day of the year, UPS expects to deliver 36 million packages, or about 417 per second. The normal peak daily delivery is 18 million packages.

For Memphis-based FedEx, meanwhile, the holiday season is equally taxing, and company officials also expect this year to be busier than ever.

FedEx officials predict this will be the busiest holiday season in the company's 44-year history, and that its drivers will deliver a total 317 million packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve - which is enough to stretch around the world two times.

And it's a 12 percent increase over what the deliverer did last year.

For those who still prefer to shop in person despite the crowds, meanwhile, Wells on Friday shared some tips to avoid long lines and traffic jams.

"Sneak out while the kids are asleep," she said.

Wells said the best time to beat the rush is early in the morning.

"It's typically the slowest time of day," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.

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