Santa Maria bustling with last-minute shoppers

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — The rush was on to conclude Christmas shopping with little time to spare for those at the Santa Maria Town Center Mall.

"Shopping sales are strong, spirits are strong,” mall marking manager Kristen Lagrange said. “We're doing really well."

However, it was busy as could be on Thursday afternoon.

As a result of the county’s regional stay-at-home order, shopping centers are only allowed to operate at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking within the stores. 

This resulted in some lengthy lines outside of some stores.

Stephan Greenhill was looking to find his wife the perfect gift.

"Quite a few people out,” he said. “There are a lot of people doing last-minute shopping."

Mikayla Duncan came from Lompoc to shop for gifts at the mall.

"It's absolutely crowded,” she said. “Last-minute shoppers everywhere, it's packed to the max."

When in came to crunch time for this steady stream of shoppers, it was all about getting the job done.

"Like everybody else, you know you procrastinate,” Greenhill said. “That's what I'm out doing, just trying to get those last couple things to make sure that Christmas is right."

"When it's crowded,” Duncan added. “You just wanna get your shopping done because it gets a little hectic."

Most of these procrastinators appreciated that the stores were still open.

“People are really glad that retail was able to stay open and they're able to do their shopping,” Lagrange concluded.

Some families were also able to visit with Santa, who wore a mask and sat behind a plexiglass wall in the Santa Maria Town Center Mall.