With only three days left until Christmas, some local residents and their counterparts nationwide will likely head out in droves this weekend, fiercely rummaging through stores to find that perfect gift at the last minute.
But according to media sources and the National Retail Federation, a large percentage of the population had not yet developed that sense of gift-buying urgency by the beginning of this week. In a survey released Monday, the NRF reported that 15.4 percent of the population had not even begun their holiday shopping.
Luckily for the percentage of people that might live in Delaware’s coastal area, retailers here are still ready and willing to offer ideas and accept money for those last-minute purchases.
Bethany Beach Books, for instance, will remain open, as usual, all weekend to serve gift-buyers’ needs. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, their doors will be open on Garfield Parkway, catering to late holiday shoppers.
“We’re open every day up until Christmas,” said Tim McManus, an employee with Bethany Beach Books.
Bethany Beach Books, an independently owned Bethany Beach staple, offers everything from children’s books to science fiction tales to New York Times bestsellers, which are marked down 20 percent. But while buying a book is a good idea, McManus said, buying a gift certificate might be better.
“One of the nice things about a gift certificate is you get to choose,” McManus said. “If you’re an avid reader, it’s always good to have the ability to choose yourself.”
Back out on Garfield Parkway and down Coastal Highway awaits another extremely popular gift idea in this area, and in others across the region and even nationwide. Fisher’s Popcorn at Routes 1 and 54 in Fenwick ships several hundred of their holiday, decorative popcorn containers across the country daily but also serves them over-the-counter.
Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Coastal Highway in Fenwick on Saturday, Fisher’s sells 1 gallon containers for $12 and 3.5 gallon containers for $30 decorated with beach scenes and also snowmen, snowflakes and other designs befitting the season.
“It makes a good gift with the decorative containers,” said Will Hall, owner of Fisher’s. “A lot of people send them out to various family members.”
Not far from Fisher’s, between Maryland and Delaware Avenues on Coastal Highway in unincorporated Fenwick, Chris and Jessica Clark’s business, iLand ArT, will remain open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Their Spin and Win wheel offers shoppers a chance to win a variety of prizes before opening a wallet on both days, and the unique shopping experience the “art gallery” offers could be perfect for a unique, last-minute gift, Chris Clark said.
Candles, art sets, rare toys and unique jewelry, including pieces made of glass, metal, pearls or even concrete, are available at the Fenwick Island location. Chris Clark said this week that iLand ArT is a perfect stop “if they want a unique gift that you won’t find anywhere else. We are advertised as an art gallery but we have a lot of really cool and beautiful gifts,” he added.
But perhaps one of the most relaxing late-minute gift ideas lies in the Canal Bridge Professional Building in at Oceanova, the Spa at Ocean View. Customers can purchase gift certificates — popular holiday gift items, according to the company’s owner — for a dollar amount or specifically for one of the spa’s many services. The $100, 75-minute Oceanova stone massage has been a holiday favorite, as are the all-day spa packages, which combine many of the spa’s services, including massages, manicures, pedicures, body treatments and waxing.
“We’ve been selling the heck out of gift certificates,” said Carolyn Novakoski, Oceanova’s owner, who suggested buying one for a dollar amount rather than a specific service so the gift-receiver can pick out something to their liking. She suggested that late gift-buyers come in and “look over the menu… and get an idea of what they want to spend.”
But the 15.4 percent of people who haven’t started shopping yet should be advised to quickly gain that sense of shopping urgency. Retail shops, including Novakoski’s, will cater to last-minuters — but there is a limit. Oceanova is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday but is closed Sunday.
“Hopefully, those people that are last-minute people won’t be waiting until Christmas Eve,” she said.