Stores hoping for big rush as Christmas nears

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - We're now almost two weeks away from Christmas, but there's still a lot of shopping to do for many. It's the most wonderful time of the year for retailers. But as the days to Christmas count down, the stores are hoping for a big rush.

Bill Regan started his kiosk selling gift baskets this year and so far it's been so-so.

“And we're giving it a go, it's been slow and I hope things will pick up soon, it's kind of a last minute gift so I think within the next week or so people will start coming by,” Regan said.

Experts say items get cheaper as the holiday approaches. Things like toys and High Definition TVs start going down.

The National Retail Federation forecasted a 4.1% increase in holiday sales this year but still anticipated shoppers to remain cautious.

New numbers out show the unemployment rate dropped to 7.7% but that's mainly because more people dropped out of the job market.  Some people we spoke with said even though the unemployment rate is going down it doesn't make shopping any easier.

“I think there's still a pinch we're still budgeting ourselves and just waiting for the deals, you've got to do what you got to do,” said Cheryl Petrain.

But you don't want to wait too long, experts say retailers realize that last minute shoppers are desperate and less able to comparison shop so prices may reflect that.