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Dozens of shoppers packed the streets of downtown Parkville during Super Saturday, the final weekend before Christmas, as procrastinators made their last-minute gift purchases under pressure.
The bustling shopping day brought crowds to local businesses, with many customers seeking unique gifts they can't find at typical retail stores.
"Super Saturday, it's the last Saturday before Christmas, and believe it or not, I have to do a little shopping myself," Patrick Connely, owner of Style and Stitch, said.
According to the National Retail Federation, a record 159 million people were expected to shop on Super Saturday nationwide. In Parkville, the beautiful weather drew shoppers who wanted to support local businesses.
"It's a beautiful day, so we said, 'What a great day to get out and shop local and visit Parkville,'" One shopper said. "Parkville's kind of an enchanted place."
Connely said his store saw high demand for games, as customers rushed to complete their holiday shopping lists.
Shopper Gayle Kendrick embraced the last-minute shopping experience.
"This is perfect," Kendrick said. "I'm going to hit them all. Cause I'm by myself. This is the first one I stopped at, and I'm going that way."
Other shoppers, Marina and Scott, appreciated Parkville's unique shopping options.
"It's got just different things that you just don't find in the typical places, and to kind of match that unique person, maybe with a unique gift," they said.
For small business owners, the customer support during the busy shopping season serves as their own Christmas gift.
Jennifer Brown, owner of Vintage Style KC, expressed gratitude for community support.
"And that's why we show our customer appreciation too," Brown said. "We just love to have the community come out, and for a small business, it means so much every time someone comes in and makes a purchase."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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