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Many Wait Until Christmas Eve To Do Last Minute Shopping

By Dillon Thomas

DENVER (CBS4) - With Christmas morning only hours away, many Coloradans rushed to local outlets to do last minute shopping.

Cherry Creek Shopping Center was one of the busiest shopping malls in Denver, with thousands filing in on Saturday.

"It is the calm before the storm, I guess," said Michael Licata, a last minute shopper.

Licata was just one of many who waited until the night before Christmas to do their holiday shopping.

Others, like Keturah Dixon, said they purposefully were waiting until the last minute to buy items.

"Here at the mall, you actually have a lot more freedom to roam around," Dixon said. "It's more mellow. I've actually seen the stores more crazy."

Though Dixon enjoyed the hustle of last minute shopping, she said her presence at Cherry Creek was partially due to online shopping falling through.

"(Companies) tell you you can order it by a certain time, and you will get it before Christmas," Dixon said. "But, then you won't end up getting it (on time.)"

Licata said, though the lines were annoying, he had no other option but to partake in the chaos. Licata spent the previous days before Christmas traveling with his wife and kids.

"We had literally two days to get (shopping) done. We took care of the kids yesterday. And today, it is one for her, one for me," Licata said.

Licata said the deals right before Christmas were the most appealing part of shopping late. However, he said those deals often influenced him to shop for himself.

"That is the hard thing. Sometimes I walk out with three of my bags, and one for them," Licata said.

Cherry Creek officials told CBS4 their busiest day of the year actually comes after Christmas.

A representative from the mall said the day after Christmas, this year being Monday, is by far the busiest. Those going to the mall after Christmas often are there to use gift cards they received, or to return the presents they didn't like.

Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.

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