Last-minute shoppers hit Salt Lake City stores

SALT LAKE CITY — The tally of last-minute shoppers at The Gateway on Christmas Eve was impressive, but it seemed to feature more out-of-towners than actual procrastinators.

Yes, there were browsers and folks hoping to catch some down-to-the-wire deals. But others had something more specific in common than the march of time and an incomplete shopping list. They flew in to spend the holidays with family and friends, and they were not willing to pay the baggage handling fee to transport gifts. They started shopping when they reached their destination.

So Carly Bench of Cincinnati brought mom Tammy Rodgers, who lives in Utah, her sister Brynn Rodgers and her sister-in-law Jillian Bench out to enjoy the sales and each other as she speed-shopped, before celebrating buyer's victory with a peppermint hot chocolate.

Kyle Cameron, a 22-year-old who came home to Heber City for the holidays from a Phoenix golf academy, let his big sister Kacey pick her own gift — a set of snowboarding gloves. Meanwhile, their dad, Darren Cameron, was watching daughter Jessica, 13, for clues to what she wanted before sneaking off to buy her a gift.

"Yes, I started my shopping and I got it done today," laughed Kyle Cameron.

The cheerful quartet good-naturedly described their purchases before heading to a golf store in a different part of town to admire the latest and greatest gear. After anything in particular? "Whatever strikes our fancy," said Darren Cameron. "We're a golfing family, except Jessica, who'd rather watch a faucet drip or mud dry."

Eli Ker, in town from South Carolina to spend Christmas at his folks' house in Tooele, was both getting started with and finishing his shopping, as well. He, too, said he delayed shopping to avoid paying for more luggage. Thursday morning, he was looking for gift cards and a pair of shirts.

"It's not as crazy as I thought," he said, noting he had feared massive crowds of last-minute buyers. "I was terrified, but there wasn't even much of a line."

He may have spoken too soon. He shopped when the stores first opened. By noon, the outdoor mall was crowded.

Doralee Dickson and her adult daughter, Diedre, were in town from Temecula, Calif., for a pre-Christmas family gathering before jetting home later Thursday. And they were happy because they had just scored three sweatshirts for Diedre's dad.

"I'm not just shopping last-minute," said Doralee Dickson. "I shopped some before, but I work so much. I think last-minute is a sign of the times. Our lives are so hectic. I've worked more this year because my salary was cut, and I've been working extra. I've had little time."

Their family came for a snow vacation that included going to the ballet with Doralee Dickson's sister — "There's no greater version of 'Nutcracker' than Ballet West," she said — before heading home.

And though they are not celebrating Christmas Day in Utah, they needed a taste of the holiday here, she said. "We love Salt Lake. It's Christmas City."

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