Sitting in the food court of Coastal Grand mall with a shopping cart full of bags, Cheryl and Karen Macguire could happily say they were done with their Christmas shopping.
"I'm glad we got it all done in one day," said Cheryl Macguire.
"I'm glad we got it all done before noon," countered her mother, Karen Macguire.
The pair were among the thousands of people who braved the elements in the Myrtle Beach area to get their holiday shopping finished.
Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, is the second or third busiest shopping day of the year, according to research firm ShopperTrak, vying with Black Friday and Dec. 23.
And that's why the Macguires got to the mall early.
Cheryl Macguire said she was expecting a Black Friday-esqe early morning rush.
"We were here at 8 a.m.," she said. "It was totally deserted."
But other shoppers said they had a different experience Saturday morning.
Gina Barnhill, her mother, Brenda Hardwick, and her brother's girlfriend, Allison McCracken, said they tried to get to a local Old Navy store to take advantage of its deals on scarves.
But Barnhill said when they got to the store a little after 8 a.m., "they were all gone."
Many national chain stores tried to entice shoppers to spend their last minute Christmas money there.
For example, Toys R Us was open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday selling keyboards for $99 ($100 off), according to The Associated Press.
Barnhill said those deals are the reason she planned on waiting until late to finish up her holiday shopping.
"I waited for the last minute deals," she said.
But Brenda Hardwick had already finished her shopping by Saturday.
"I'm just out picking up little things," she said.
Those "little" things included a pair of boots Hardwick and Barnhill had been looking for, for two weeks, Barnhill said.
"They're sort of a Christmas present from my dad," said Barnhill laughing.
She said she will probably come back out to the mall again to give other family members help with gift ideas.
"I'm sure I'll be back to tell him what to get you," she said to McCracken.
In addition to the shoppers, the mall was also filled with patient partners.
Several were dozing off in the sitting areas and one man even brought a book, saying he wasn't planning on leaving his seat until his family members were done shopping.
Ronnie McCracken of Marion said he was waiting for his wife to finish shopping.
When it comes to holiday shopping, he said, "she's through. She's just messing around."
But for those who did shop on Saturday, the work wasn't over.
"Now we have to go home and wrap everything," said Cheryl Macguire.
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