UNION SQUARE, Manhattan (PIX11) \u2014 Christmas Eve is just 24 hours before Christmas Day, but some people find it to be the right time to shop for their loved ones, either by choice or out of necessity.<\/p>\n
For vendors, the last day can be among the best \u2014 if not the best \u2014 of the season for retail sales.<\/p>\n
More Local News <\/a><\/p>\n It was on full display at a variety of retail locations across the region on Wednesday, including the twin markets at Union Square.<\/p>\n Larissa Adamczyk, the manager of Sabyloo, a Union Square Holiday Market shop that sells socks and other items with images of dog and cat breeds on them, succinctly explained why crowds were thick, hours ahead of the holiday.<\/p>\n \u201cIncrease in last-minute shoppers,\u201d she said. Her description was repeated by other vendors at the holiday market, which is the biggest of four such outdoor retail locations across the city, according to the Parks Department, which oversees them.<\/p>\n Another vendor, Sarella Suarez, who sells jewelry from her kiosk at the market, said that consistently over her 13 years operating her small business at the holiday venue, last-minute customers have been a key part of her business. <\/p>\n Lauren Bachman spoke about the purchase from Sarella that she\u2019d just completed, as well as why she\u2019d made it with less than 12 hours to go before the holiday began.<\/p>\n \u201cI bought a bracelet for my mom, but also got one for myself,\u201d Bachman said, \u201cso we\u2019ll have matching bracelets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to come to places like this,\u201d she continued, in explaining her late-in-the-season purchase, \u201cbecause they get so packed.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s one type of last-minute shopper. Another is Megaera Regan, who\u2019d thought she was done with all of her shopping, until she happened to see something at the market \u2014 socks \u2014 for her entire cat-loving family.<\/p>\n Make PIX11 your preferred news source on Google: Here\u2019s how <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis is for Casey, my almost daughter-in-law,\u201d she began, as she pulled pair after pair out of her shopping bag. \u201cThis is for Paul, he has two cats now,\u201d she said, and continued to show a half-dozen pairs of socks she\u2019d bought.<\/p>\n Union Square is home to the city\u2019s largest farmers\u2019 market, which attracts last-minute shoppers like\u00a0Omer Bensaadon.<\/p>\n He\u2019d just purchased a bouquet of artisanally dried flowers when he spoke with PIX11 News.<\/p>\n \u201cI ordered ahead,\u201d he joked about his\u00a0last-minute purchase.<\/p>\n He was beyond reproach, though, for the gift he\u2019d bought for his girlfriend\u2019s mother,\u00a0in the afternoon of Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my\u00a0first Christmas,\u201d he explained. \u201cI\u2019m Jewish, so I haven\u2019t done this whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n