AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – If you didn’t know that Christmas was on Wednesday, all you would have to do is try to drive to the Augusta Mall, Mullins Crossing or even Costco.

Parking lots across our area were packed on Monday with last-minute shoppers ahead of Christmas day.

If you do need to buy any last-minute gifts, shop local.

Delayed shipments this season have been impacting shoppers and businesses.

“I mean shipping something is awful and you don’t have the confidence in the post office that you have had in the past with UPS or FedEx,” said Tracy Hooks, owner of Communigraphics.

But that’s not stopping our local small businesses from making sure customers have plenty to choose from.

“We’re local,” said Hooks. “We always have to count on the local people to buy from us so have patience with those businesses because it is really a struggle on the back end of things.”

This year has been especially tough after Hurricane Helene.

“I think it’s so important to support your local economy, especially after what happened to us recently with Helene,” said Catherine Alexander, Art on Board business manager.

They’ve been preparing for weeks and are still ready for more people to come through their doors this week.

“The customers that we’re getting in are just having a good time,” said Alexander. “They’re all shopping for somebody special and we’ve had people come in here and complete their entire Christmas list.”

Some shopping ahead of time, or even the week of.

”Just take a moment, even if you’ve got to go to the mall and get something or go to a big box store, take a moment to visit one of your local stores,” said Alexander. “Visit one of your local small businesses, because we really appreciate your support.”

Many of our downtown local businesses were even open on Monday when they are typically closed, allowing more people to come in and shop for last-minute gifts.

So, make sure to go out and support our local shops this week.

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