Super Saturday marks the beginning of the last big shopping weekend before Christmas. Bargain-hunting shoppers flooded many area stores in search of the perfect gifts.

According to the National Retail Federation, by the middle of December shoppers in the United States still had more than half of their holiday gift buying to do. That's the highest percentage since 2004. Some experts speculate it's pure procrastination, and others say shoppers are simply holding out for better bargains. Either way, local stores were packed with customers on Saturday.

Whether it's the rush of waiting until the last minute, or you're just searching for better deals, it's evident that many people still have plenty of shopping to do in the last weekend before Christmas.

Kayla Munroe says, "There's better deals closer to Christmas-time."

Stephanie Moran explains, "A lot of people are just getting their Christmas bonuses from their employers, and they didn't have the money before. You go through your list and you find who you forgot and who you haven't gotten, and that's what we're here for."

Deb Croscutt says, "I think because of the way the economy's been lately, they're just waiting to see what they got left, see how their jobs are, things like that, and check out the sales."

Jermaine Saunders explains, "Sometimes last-minute Christmas shopping helps a lot, you know, people trying to sell and get things out of the door, so I think sometimes, for me, the last-minute Christmas shopping is always a great deal for us."

Yenta Jaques says, "I never feel like I'm really done, so I feel like I need to keep coming out and see if there's one more thing I didn't think of."

In an attempt to lure shoppers, many stores wait until the last minute to announce their final weekend sales and incentives to get people through the door, but with many stores carrying less inventory this year, deeper discounts may be difficult to find.

Stephanie Moran says, "I've been kind of disappointed. I haven't really found much."

After the economic downturn led to a dismal season for retailers last year, many expect to see a slight increase in this year's numbers.

Suzanne Schmalzried, Senior Team Leader at Target, explains, "Sales have actually been great so far this year. We have just a tremendous amount of guests coming in the store."

And even though stores were crowded, there are still some who prefer to stay away and avoid the chaos.

Randy Ferres, a Great Falls resident, explains, "I'm just enjoying a cup of coffee. I have all my shopping done. I thought I'd watch the people."