El Pasoans Hit The Malls For Last Minute Shopping

Ah, Christmas Eve.

For those hitting the malls, it’s always the last chance to snap that picture with Santa and snap up those savings for the last few names on that list.

Both Cielo Vista and Sunland Park Mall were described as “hectic,” “busy,” and even “ridiculous,” by shoppers who had the time to stop and talk with ABC-7.

And the National Retail Federation says it’s been that way all season.

It predicts holiday spending will reach $451.5 billion in 2010. That’s up 3.3% over last year.

But El Paso business owner Walter Hanson says things were actually slow for him in 2010. Hanson owns ‘Peppers Springs Out West,’ a Sunland Park Mall kiosk selling soups, cheese balls and soup mixes.

“Not nearly as much traffic as there’s been in the past,” Hanson told ABC-7.

Still, other El Paso shoppers said they did notice a difference this year.

“The entrances to the freeway are pretty packed,” said one woman, “I think the economy has probably gotten better and people are still shopping.”