With just a week to go until Christmas, holiday shoppers are feeling the strain. For some, time is tight and the list is long. In the background is the threat of rising taxes.
But for most, it is Christmas as usual.
John Zigga, manager of Sports Fever at the Mall at Steamtown, said this year has been busier than last.
Granted, last year the store was a kiosk, but this year he estimates there are roughly 1,000 people who come through the store every weekend.
"Over the weekend, we get a lot of people," Mr. Zigga said. "Sundays are insane."
Jason McAllister, owner of Gift Gallery, a seasonal store at the Mall at Steamtown, said that in the three years he's been operating his store, this might be the slowest. Business is down by as much as 20 percent, he estimates.
"I think people are scared to spend money with taxes the way they are heading," Mr. McAllister said, alluding to the city's looming property tax increase and the threat of the federal "fiscal cliff."
"People are spending less per person," he said.
Still, he is hopeful. Typically, he said, the last 10 days before Christmas tend to be eventful.
"People say it's Black Friday, but it's the week leading up to Christmas that is the busiest," Mr. McAllister said.
At the Shoppes at Montage in Moosic, Clarks Summit resident Karen Robson was returning an item at the Gap on Sunday - one of the few occasions she has been lured to the stores. To avoid the hassle, she has done 95 percent of her holiday shopping online.
"It's accessible, available, and it's the equivalent of shopping at stores," she said.
Moscow resident Isiah Kinney, 16, was feeling the pressure of buying gifts, but for a completely different reason. He has an anniversary coming up on Saturday.
Clutching an FYE bag at the Viewmont Mall, he reflected that, for the most part, he has his bases covered.
"I'm an artist," Isiah said. "I like to make my gifts, too."
While browsing through the handbag selection at the Viewmont Mall's Macy's, Luz Otero quickly took out her iPhone, opened her "RedLaser" app and scanned the bag's bar code to compare prices at different locations. Soon after, her phone told her this was a good location to buy a Michael Kors handbag for her 28-year-old daughter.
She has to take care - she earns minimum wage, and every penny counts. So far, she is doing well.
"My goal was to not use any credit cards," Ms. Otero, a Hawley resident, said. "So far, I've stuck to that."
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter