Christmas shopping almost over for last minute buyers

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -

Monday was the final shopping day for Christmas and the clocks are ticking until the stores will close, but the crowds are not as bad as you might think.

"It's actually slower that it usually is," said Reid Shierling, Owner of Ring Em’ Up.

"I honestly didn't know what to expect, I only come to the mall once a year and this is it. It seems a little less crowded than last year," said Tim Smyth.

Shierling tells us he was surprised with the lack of people shopping.

"All the people are worried about the crowd, that is keeping them away."

However, while the Johnson City Mall was not filled with people wall-to-wall, there were still some shoppers finishing their last minute shopping.

"I’m a procrastinator by nature," said Smyth.

Smyth says he feels the deals are better, but there is a downfall to waiting until the last minute.

"That's the only problem. One place didn't have what I wanted."

Pat Swinehart said shopping on Christmas Eve is not part of her family's normal tradition.

"No, Christmas Eve is a no-no in our family," said Swinehart.

However, she tells us she is not shopping for last-minute gifts for her family, but rather children who would not be getting much of a Christmas.

"This morning the Lord just said, 'you need to find what you can do to help these kids,' that's the only reason I’m here today," said Swinehart.

Swinehart says she would gladly do it all over again, if it meant bringing a smile to a face of a child. "It's the reason; it's what Christmas is all about. We've really been blessed and I just want someone else to be blessed."

Swinehart told us she and other members of her family have adopted three families this Christmas.