SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – With Hanukkah celebrations beginning Sunday evening, and Christmas fast-approaching, this weekend has been a busy time for holiday shopping.

“This is the last weekend so got to get it done,” Gary Lyonnais from Ludlow said.

Lots of holiday cheer, and maybe a bit of stress as shoppers aim to check off each item on their gift-list. Saturday marked the final day of standard ground shipping through the post office
and with the Christmas holiday inching closer there’s only a few days left to make those in-store purchases.

One shopper in West Springfield told 22News, he tends to wait until the last minute!

“I began last night,” said Lyonnais.

Another shopper, on the other hand, said they started their holiday shopping sooner looking for those Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals early on.

“Well I did it over a period of time, I tried to get the bargains and what not so it wasn’t the last minute,” said Patricia Nulls from Springfield.

This past weekend was predicted to be a heavy shopping day with many retailers offering sweet deals during the last weekend before Christmas. Still, shoppers said stores weren’t overwhelmingly crowded on Sunday.

“I find it a little light this year. I don’t know if it’s online shopping or people don’t have the money to go out. I found it very, no lines and easy to shop,” said Lyonnais.

This, seeming to be a national trend as consumers battle inflation. According to the Commerce Department, retail sales fell by 0.6% last month, the biggest drop in nearly a year. But people are still finding a way to make their holiday special, enjoying the most wonderful time of the year!