CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotteans were bumper to bumper, finding love at the last minute Tuesday night.
"Sad, I know," said Aja Wiggins, as she scurried into the Walgreen's at South Boulevard and Woodlawn Avenue. Does her last minute spree mean she loves her Valentine any less? "No, of course not, of course not," she insisted.
"I got her a plush bear," said Rich Barker. He was one of several people who filled the aisles at the 24-hour drug store.
James Alvarez echoed the sentiment of most late shoppers this Valentine's Day. "I've been working and working," he said. "But I love her and I want to show her." He chose a green frog to spell out his love.
Barker was also shopping at the last minute for his Valentine. He too went for a plush toy. It's meaning? "That I love her and I love being with her," he said.
Kutaka Ruffin skipped the flowers and bought a card for her teenage daughter. "I want you to be proud of your talents," she read. But Ruffin didn't need the card to express what she loves most about her daughter. "I'd say it's her warmth."
From children shopping with their parents to men shopping for their girlfriends, and everyone else who wanted to remember someone this Valentine's Day, love filled the air up until the last moments of February 14, 2012.
It's a trend the National Retail Federation likes to see. The group said the average person spent $126 this Valentine's Day. That's a ten dollar increase over last year.
