Crowds, empty shelves greet last-minute Pittsburgh Christmas shoppers

PITTSBURGH — Last-minute shoppers packed the parking lots at big box stores on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh today. Supply chain issues did make it tough for some to find what they wanted, but most got what they needed.

“A lot of them (shelves) were empty. Most of them were empty, actually,” Rachel Garland told Channel 11 as she headed back to her car from Target. “Those were the last two gift bags on the shelf. I had no choice. I had to get them,” she added, pointing to two lonely gift bags in her cart.

Even though Garland couldn’t find some items she wanted, the Christmas spirit was in full supply for her three kids.

“You guys ready for Christmas?” asked Channel 11′s Angie Moreschi. The answer from Garland’s three children, Cire, Camryn and Caleb, was a resounding “Yeeessss!!”

Supplies and gifts hit or miss

Jasmine Hicks of the Northside fared pretty well finding most toys she was looking for.

“LOL dolls, those shelves were pretty stocked. Learning toys, not so much. Blocks. Paw Patrol stuff.  An electric scooter. That was pretty much it,” Hicks said.

The Lu family just moved to Pittsburgh from Washington D.C. this week and was in search of a Christmas tree for their new home.

“The shelves in the Christmas section were pretty empty,” Daniel Lu told us.

Luckily, they were able to find a Christmas tree and a few other last-minute supplies.

Crowds & long lines

No matter what you were looking for, the rush was on for procrastinators, with crowds and long lines the order of the day.

“That’s typical of me, procrastinating Christmas Eve trying to get those last-minute presents,” said Mark Kris of Ross Township, who was heading into Target.

Jasmine Hicks summed it up with one word: “Stressful.”

Elini McCune was also among those braving the crowds and wearing her Christmas sweater.

“It’s pretty crazy,” McCune said, laughing.

Last-minute gift ideas

At this point, if you’re scrambling for last-minute ideas, a gift subscription might be the way to go. Quick and easy, you can order online; then, print out and gift-wrap the email confirmation and present that as your gift.

Depending on the person, you can tailor a subscription to their interests.

For music lovers, a subscription to Spotify Premium costs $9.99 a month.

For the adventurous, a membership to a rock-climbing gym like ASCEND in Pittsburgh runs $68 a month.

Monthly gift box subscriptions are another great last-minute choice. They vary in price and have something for just about everyone these days-- from food and drink to beauty products to kid’s crafts. Here are a few links to popular choices:

• Secret Cookie Dough Club
• Cocktail Courier
• Murray’s Cheese of the Month Club
• IPSY Glam Bags
• KiwiCo – enriching science and art projects for kids
• LOVEVERY PLAY KITS – for toddlers

Mrs. ‘Glassport’ Claus brings Christmas to kids in the Mon Valley