Minnesota shoppers jammed stores this month, mostly found what they wanted

With just a few days left before Christmas, David Ayers-Moran of Minneapolis bounded into the Patina gift shop in Golden Valley and started looking for gifts for his mother.

"I was in college doing finals, so I didn't have time," said Ayers-Moran, who picked up an oven mitt and hand towel. "My parents didn't want me to shop any earlier."

In what's expected to be a record-shattering year for retail sales, supply chain issues pushed many consumers to do their buying earlier this Christmas shopping season. But even the emergence of a new coronavirus variant didn't stop crowds of shoppers from packing into stores this week in the final days before the holiday.

"This is a week when retailers do big volumes," said David Zoba, chair of Hey!Joy Toy Store at the Mall of America in Bloomington.

The National Retail Federation predicted holiday spending this year will easily beat records, initially forecasting sales growth around 10% to $859 billion. The industry group later raised its outlook to 11.5% growth, based on early shopping patterns.

Retailers big and small attribute the buying sprees to customers tired of the pandemic and eager to spend. The big jump is partly because of suppressed sales during last year's holiday before COVID-19 vaccinations were widely available. Inflation is also playing a role. Holiday retail sales typically grow around 3 to 4% annually.

Executives at Minneapolis-based Target Corp. were so optimistic that they raised their outlook in November, and one retail tracker this week said Target fared better than other national chains last month.

"Sales are up. This whole season has been the best we've ever had, and this whole year has been the best we've ever had," said Tyler Conrad, owner of Good Things, a gift shop with six locations in the Twin Cities.

At the eight Patina shops, owner Christine Ward has seen a similar influx of shoppers. She ordered months in advance to ensure there would be inventory on the shelves. "We are really on track to be doing significant increases over last year, which feels great," she said.

About 50 customers were wrapping up their Christmas shopping at the Patina in Golden Valley on Tuesday afternoon.

Seasonal fragrances, candles and hooded blankets have been big sellers. "It was the year of the puzzle last year, and it's extended into this year just like COVID has," said Karin Tappero, district manager for Patina.

Barb Seibel, 40, of Plymouth stopped into Patina as she tried to figure out what to buy for her mother and grandmother. She settled on a scarf and a book with inspirational quotes.

Last-minute shopping is "the story of my life," Lindsey Loberg, 41, of St. Louis Park said after stopping in Tuesday at Patina.

"Now, I'm going to go to downtown Hopkins," she said. "I went to the mall yesterday, so I'm just finishing picking up the last-minute stuff."

For his mother-in-law, Jeremy Todd of Minnetonka picked up a mug that features an image of the aurora borealis when filled with hot water. Other than that, he's done. "The news reports about shipping delays made it seem important to get it done early," said Todd, 45.

Every year, Mykenzie Bichler procrastinates on her Christmas shopping. This year was no different for Bichler, 33, of Plymouth, who hit Macy's at Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka on Tuesday.