Most major retailers opened early on December 24 and are closing by dinner time, but there are a few exceptions. Best Buy is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. as is Dick’s Sporting Goods. Costco is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
However, Target is one of the few stores open until 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
NBC Charlotte saw a busy parking lot of shoppers at the Target on South Boulevard in the Carolina Pavilion shopping center. The store manager says they typically stay busy right until the store closes at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Kelly Winrich and her husband Grant bought toys, gift cards and wrapping paper on Monday.
“(We are) perpetual last-minute shoppers, we are the people who always wait until the last minute for everything,” Kelly Winrich told NBC Charlotte.
The couple was thankful for the ability to shop for gifts, even if it was a little late.
“Being that we are such procrastinators, it’s nice to be able to still have access to get stuff at the last minute,” Grant Winrich said.
They’re not alone. The Target store manager, Amanda West, says they do at least double the sales on Christmas Eve as a regular day.
“Every year, we do continue to be busy right up until store close,” West told NBC Charlotte. “We’ve been incredibly busy, we’ve got a lot of last minute shoppers coming out, we’ve been the busiest in electronics and toys.”
“We’ve been out since 8 o’ clock this morning, so it’s definitely picking up,” Grant Winrich said.
Target is one of the major retailers opened late on Christmas Eve, with doors closing at 10 p.m.
“10 o’ clock is a little bit late for people that have to work but it’s definitely convenient,” Brittney Crowder, a shopper, said.
According to West, the store makes an effort to keep the spirit up among staff.
“We try to keep our team in great spirits, we feed them all week, and make sure they have a great Christmas Eve meal as well,” West said.
West also says for the first time this year, you can order items online and they will bring it to your car, but that service ends at 6 p.m.