Stores Open Crazy Hours on Christmas Eve

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. That was until Dad realized he’d forgotten to buy his son the most coveted gift on his list—an Xbox One. So he tore up the shutters and threw up the sash, got in his car and made quite a dash, to a store that he knew would be open so late—that coveted Xbox would soon make the date.

A handful of stores will be open on Christmas Eve. Some of which will be open 24 hours throughout the week leading up. Retailers hope expanded hours will make last-minute shopping easier on those making up for lost time, as this year held six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, resulting in a smaller window for gift-buying.

Opening on Thanksgiving Day was a new strategy for retailers to lure in early Black Friday shoppers. In a retail strategy that’s reminiscent, Kohl’s opened consecutive days—with no turning off the nights—through the night of the 24th.

It began with Kohl’s announcing they would keep their doors open 100 hours straight, beginning 6 a.m. Friday and lasting until 6 p.m. Christmas Eve. The Times Square location, in an unprecedented feat, has been open since 8 a.m. Dec. 1, which will become a store record of 566 hours.

Macy’s wouldn’t dare miss out on the fun. Since last Friday, 37 locations around the country, including Union Square in San Francisco, Macy’s Herald Square in New York City and State Street in Chicago have been up four days straight, ending their runs at 6 p.m. Christmas Eve. Peter Sachse, chief stores officer of Macy’s, Inc. had this to say: “Overnight shopping at Macy's has become a holiday tradition that last minute gift-givers count on to get them through the time crunch of the season.”

On Christmas Eve Walgreens will be open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. People nearing the end of their shopping list can take comfort in knowing a few extra knickknacks will be available at the store or pharmacy. Impromptu shopping trips are common during the waning hours of the pre-holiday, and luckily your neighborhood Walgreens will be open for business.

Following suit in keeping stores open for last-minute holiday rushes, Kmart, Walmart, Nordstrom and Target will be open. Kmart is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 24—six more hours than last year—and Walmart superstores will close at 8 p.m. Target, varying by location, will run store hours between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. Nordstrom is also extending its holiday hours to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Be mindful about these marathon hours and extended openings. It’s crunch-time, after all, and your friends and family are counting on you to deliver

No pressure.

Have the holiday of your dreams, and make each minute—especially these last shopping minutes—count.