Last-minute shoppers count down to Christmas

Crowds make their way up and down the escalator near the carousel at South Coast Plaza on Friday.

A shopper has a load to carry while walking through South Coast Plaza on Friday.

Two shoppers stroll through South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa on Friday, two days before Christmas.

Brittany Rippeto, left, of Seal Beach picks up last-minute holiday items for her husband while shopping at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa on Friday.