LUTHERVILLE-TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ) -- It's Christmas Eve, and while many are at home with their families, some are in a mad dash to finish their holiday shopping.

As the countdown to Santa's visit ends, last-minute shoppers were out in full force Tuesday at the Kohl's in Timonium.

"Oh, I always wait until the last minute," one shopper said.

"Every year I try to avoid it, and it inevitably happens. Every single year," another said.

They're not alone; Saturday was the busiest shopping day in U.S. retail history with sales reaching $34.4 billion.

Some said they had every intention of starting early and some even did start early, but with hours to go, they were still searching for a few more things.

"We started (in) early October, but we still always kind of get the list down to the last day, last hour," a shopper said.

One thing most early birds and procrastinators alike can agree on: after Tuesday, they're done.

But the work will continue for retailers: a survey shows 77 percent of consumers plan to return some items they receive this holiday season.