Last-minute shoppers flock to Lakeside Mall to buy gifts

NEW ORLEANS – By now, Christmas trees are usually lit and the wrapping paper beneath them sparkles, but on Tuesday, Mr. Bingle looked out into a crowded parking lot at the Lakeside Shopping Center, and that could only mean one thing.

“I left some Christmas shopping until the last minute,” Corey Boutte said.

On Tuesday morning it was extremely difficult to find a parking space.

“Parking is a disaster as always, but luckily I was able to get a spot today,” said Barry Grodsky. “Someone did their best to prevent me from getting it,” he said.

Although the parking lot was full, there wasn’t as much hustle and bustle inside the mall as one would think from the outside. Although the lines were long, the crowds weren’t as big as some expected.

“Today went pretty smoothly, I’ve been here since 9:46 a.m. and I’m almost done,” Terez Martin told us before noon.

Martin and a few others set out to visit Lakeside, not at the last minute.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but a few people came that I had to get gifts for,” she said.

“I still have a few things to do and it’s not me, it’s my wife’s fault. Of course she calls me and says, ‘Hey, we forgot a certain cousin or family member,’ so I have to go get her,” Boutte said.

But for Grodsky, last-minute shopping is his favorite way to plan for Christmas Day.

“This is my pattern. That’s what I do,” Grodsky said. “It’s a challenge, it’s a lot of fun to see what I can do in a short amount of time,” he said. That’s why they have Christmas Eve. “I come out here, it’s fun, the weather is nice,” he added. “I started early this morning, I have the whole day to do it, without stress.” I know what I’m getting, in and out again.

No matter who else was on the list, buyers were determined. Some even said they had to make multiple stops.

“The mall is the first because the line is always longer than other stores,” Boutte told us as he left Lakeside. “I need a gift card so I can get it at Walgreens or a supermarket.”

Despite the hustle and bustle, the Christmas spirit kept everyone calm and happy.

“The great thing about it is that no one is in a bad mood and that’s the great thing, everyone is happy,” Boutte said.

While no one was a Scrooge, some say they still plan to make their list and revisit it in time for Christmas Eve next year. But if you need to sleigh down to Lakeside again next year to do some last-minute shopping, this year’s offenders have some advice.

“Stay calm, don’t panic, you will find something beautiful,” Grodsky said.

For our complete guide to NOLA store holiday hours, click here.

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