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Last-Minute Christmas Shoppers Converge On Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- For some, it's the thrill of finding a last-minute sale. For others, it's the agony of realizing you just can't put it off any more.

Whatever the reason, a whole lot of people are joining the shopping rush hours before Christmas.

Chicago shoppers were rummaging through mounds of what was left on the shelves Thursday. People like Brenda Kovarik were in search of last-minute deals.

"Actually, I had already finished and I just heard there was a good deal coming, so I had to come check," she says.

She's not alone. A recent Visa survey showed some 77 percent of shoppers haven't finished buying stuff on their holiday lists.

It was keeping cashiers busy at Best Buy on Michigan Avenue.

And as the minutes to Christmas wind down, Chicago shoppers say they're willing to brave the rain and whatever the weather brings to save some cold hard cash at the stores.

Despite the tough economy, experts say shoppers broke a record on the Saturday before Christmas, spending $26 billion dollars.

Shoppers say this is really the best time to buy because the discounts just keep getting deeper.

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