With three days to go ... Shoppers out in force on traditionally bustling day.

• Position: NEWS

Byline: Susan Spencer

The economy may be prompting people to seek out bargains, but judging by the multihour parking-lot gridlock at the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury Saturday afternoon and the steady traffic in other area stores, people were not deterred from holiday shopping.

Millbury Police brought in extra traffic detail officers and temporarily closed the entrance to the shopping mall around 3:30 p.m. because cars trying to exit were backed up in parking aisles all the way to the far end.

The mall has only one entrance and exit, which creates a bottleneck on busy shopping days.

The Saturday before Christmas is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.

It's not just for gifts under the tree, but also for Christmas dinner preparations.

Bill Wertz, spokesman for Walmart's East Coast stores, said, "We're expecting huge amounts of sales. Saturday is traditionally the biggest food day of the year for us."

In addition to turkeys, vegetables and pie fixings, popular gift items at Walmart were laptop computers, e-readers, toys and home goods, Mr. Wertz said.

According to a recent Consumer Reports poll, 68 percent of shoppers had not completed their gift shopping by last weekend (Dec. 17). The typical survey respondent had spent $340 on gifts so far, about 70 percent of last year's average total of $483.

Shoppers willing to brave the malls seemed to take the crowds in stride, focusing on friends, family and the Christmas spirit.

Daniel Stromberg of Warwick, R.I., stood in line at Best Buy at the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley with a soda maker in one hand and games and movies in the other. He admitted that he was typically a last-minute shopper.

"It's crazy, as expected," he said about the lines. "I came out expecting this."

At PetSmart, shoppers were not leaving out their cherished animal members of the family.

Paul and Jean Larson of Worcester brought their longhaired dachshund, Cody, to a visit with the veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital inside PetSmart and picked up a stuffed monkey for him as a Christmas present, which Mrs. Larson said she would wrap up.

"Santa knows how to drop it off under the tree," Mrs. Larson said.

Melissa Vaz of Millbury, who stopped by PetSmart to pick up some Christmas goodies for her Siamese cats, said she was scaling back on spending but still wanted to purchase gifts, for people and pets.

"The fiscal cliff does worry me, but I don't know what we can do about it," Ms. Vaz said. "You just have...