NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) — There are only two days left until Christmas and shoppers in midtown are in a mad dash to get last-minute gifts.

“I like more boutique-y kinds of places,” shopper Catherine Hidalgo told CBS 2′s Dave Carlin.

Hidalgo was avoiding the big box style stores in favor of smaller mom-and-pop shops for her last-minute gifts. She told CBS 2 that boutique shopping means more unique gifts for her family, and business owners agree.

“I think there’s actually a bit of backlash against the big box stores, especially in neighborhoods such as this where we have the neighborhood really coming out and supporting us because they want to find unique interesting gifts, and we provide that,” said Michael Quinn, Co-Owner of Delphinium Gifts.

But others are happy to spend their cash at big chain stores.

“Everything’s here and it’s a good bargain, I guess,” said Kmart Shopper Deborah Blas.

No matter where they are shopping, many customers have more than just gift giving on their minds this holiday season. The fiscal cliff, Superstorm Sandy, and the Newtown school shooting are in the forefront of everyone’s thoughts right now and retailers are taking notice.

To make buying easier retailers, both large and small, have slashed prices and expanded hours as the last-minute shopping dash ramps up.

Is all of your shopping done? Let us know in our comments section below…