Christmas Eve brings out last-minute shoppers

Customers at a local shopping center said the atmosphere was busy but noticeably less hectic than on previous Christmas Eves.

Many shoppers visited the Shops at Briargate in Colorado Springs to pick up stocking stuffers and other last-minute gifts.

The Bath and Body Works store was a popular destination, likely because of many discounts offered there.

Several customers said they’d already done most of their shopping but Emme Mitchell said she had to start over.

“I had a lot done, but then I lost a ton of gifts, so I had to buy more,” she said. “I hid them in my closet and then I cleaned out my closet and lost the gifts. I don’t know where they are.”

Sunny skies and drier weather seemed to make customers more willing to endure the Christmas Eve shopping rush.