Vegas stores ready for last-minute shoppers

Jennifer Prosser

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000 | 11:48 a.m.

You do it every year - put off shopping 'til the very last second when even Santa himself would be hard-pressed to help you out. Well, take heart - Vegas just happens to be the best place on the planet for last-minute holiday shopping, with plenty of casino and other shops just ready to take your money.

The Forum Shops at Caesars and the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian will observe their normal hours of 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This is great news for those in a pinch. The Desert Passage at the Aladdin will alter its hours to 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each mall has more then 100 stores and the selection of merchandise is plentiful.

Le Boulevard at Paris and the high-end Via Bellagio will also be open Christmas Eve and Day. Via Bellagio will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight and Le Boulevard from 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. both days.

Bali Trading Company, at Mandalay Bay, offers one-of-a-kind South Seas treasures, including hand-carved animals, brightly-colored dresses, rattan furnishings and more. Open 8:30 a.m. - midnight daily, including Christmas Eve and Day. (3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., inside Mandalay Bay, (702) 632-6123)

Don't feel like fighting crowds on the Strip? The Best on the Boulevard shopping center, just south of the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway, has many stores with quick and inexpensive gifts. Marshall's offers a great selection of quick gifts, including jewelry, software, and body lotions for under $20, and many food items under $10. These gifts also make nice additions to gift baskets. The store also has a lovely selection of items for the home and there's almost always something good on the clearance racks. Other ideas: candlesticks, sheet sets, infant sleeper sets. Open 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Christmas Eve. (3740 S. Maryland Parkway, (702) 737-1117)

Next door, Ulta3 is a great place to find boxed gift sets of perfumes, shampoos and makeup items. You'll find some nice gifts for both women and men here. There are also many items that include a free gift with purchase. Other gift items include potpourri, facial and bath spas, body mists, atomizers and more. Open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Christmas Eve. (3740 S. Maryland Parkway, (702) 735-4714)

Also in the strip mall, Cost Plus has a wealth of items perfect for holiday parties, gifts and stocking stuffers. Here you'll find glass ornaments from around the world and a fine selection of teas and wines, which make gift giving simple. And oh, the chocolate! Toblerone, Ghiradelli - need I say more? The food selection is wonderful, and the items packaging is ideal for stocking stuffers. The jelly holiday pops, in shapes of Santa, snowmen, reindeer and trees are adorable, and at 79 cents each, quite affordable. Make sure you scour the store as to not miss a thing. Open 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. (3840 S. Maryland Parkway, (702) 794-2070)

Tried and true, Target is an excellent alternative for attractive holiday gift items. Located near the food section, these gift packages will delight all - you'll find spices and cooking oils, chocolates, decorative holiday tins, with or without candy, even holiday candle gift sets. Most departments also contain holiday gift items like videos and DVDs, towels and dishcloths, Barbie dolls, etc. Open 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.(various locations, try Target Greatland, which is bright and spacious, 8750 W. Charleston Blvd, (702) 933-2300)

Fashion Show Mall and Belz Factory Outlet World will be open 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day. Meadows Mall, Boulevard Mall and Galleria at Sunset will all open at 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve and close at 6 p.m. They will all be closed on Christmas Day. Fashion Outlet Las Vegas in Primm will be open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Christmas Eve and will be closed on Christmas Day.

If you've exhausted all these options and come up empty-handed, there may no help for you, but consider buying your loved one a gift certificate to his/ her favorite mall or shopping center. They'll get exactly what they want and you won't have to run yourself ragged looking for that perfect gift.