Tips and strategies for Christmas Eve shoppers
Planning to do your shopping on Christmas Eve?
There are plenty of stores and businesses up and down the Randall Road corridor and throughout the Fox Valley that are open for much of the day, giving you just enough time to squeeze it all in.
The two big shopping centers along Randall Road — Geneva Commons and Algonquin Commons — will stay open until 5 p.m.
Geneva Commons will open at 9 a.m. Christmas Eve, while Algonquin Commons opens at 10 a.m. Both are closed Dec. 25, so don't even think you can push your shopping until then.
If you're looking to get that early shopping done indoors, Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee opens even earlier at 8 a.m. and will stay open until 5 p.m.
Open even earlier:
If 8 a.m. isn't early enough for you, there are plenty of spots that are open even earlier.
The Target stores along Randall Road, including those in Algonquin, Elgin and South Elgin, open at 7 a.m. Christmas Eve and will close at 10 p.m.
Toys R Us opens is open all night prior to Christmas Eve.
The Wal-Mart stores along Randall Road also will be open all night leading up to Christmas Eve, so you can head out there now and get what you need.
Stay home to shop:
If you're too busy making the figgy pudding today to head to the malls, there is always online shopping.
The site foxvalleyildeals.com has local gift certificates you can buy online that will give the people on your list something fun to do even after Christmas.
For example, they have a deal for $8 for two public skate admissions to the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva.
You can also buy packages for indoor golf and massages in the Fox Valley and something for your favorite furry friend, as well as deals to Woof Beach, which has two locations along Randall Road — South Elgin and Batavia — and a location in Geneva.
As part of the deal, you can get $24 worth of dog grooming for $12.
Or stop at the corner:
If you're stumped, you can always head to the nearest Walgreens. There are countless Walgreens store up and down the Randall Road corridor, and all of them carry gift cards to many favorite restaurants and stores.
If you're just looking to get a gift card, you can do all of your shopping in one place.
You might want to grab a nice Christmas card while you're there so you don't look like a total last-minute slacker.
And, as a bonus, many of the Walgreens stores are open even later than the malls. Some will stay open all night, while others will close at midnight Christmas Eve.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.