Last-Minute Shopping Requires a Gift for Creativity

Pocket this list if you’re a last-minute holiday shopper. For the procrastinator on the prowl, finding gifts late today will take some imagination and legwork because many stores and malls are closing at 6 p.m. And Christmas Day is one of those rare times when most retailers take the day off.

That means the late shopper could be forced to search for gifts in offbeat locales, places not normally thought of as shopping meccas. Think airports or gas stations. Not exactly trendy or fun, but hey, you are the one who waited this long to shop.

Here are some of our suggestions. The selection of stores may be limited but not necessarily the gifts. The creativity angle is up to you.

* Ordinarily Los Angeles International Airport is a place to be avoided during the holidays. But under the circumstances, LAX, John Wayne Airport in Orange County and other airports in the region may be the ticket to your gift problems. Surely someone on your list loves to travel. Most airline ticket counters will sell travel vouchers in denominations of $25, $50 and $100.

* Airport gift shops are a convenient place to pick up a Guess bag or travel tote. The I Love L.A. stores in Terminals 2 and 4 sell costume jewelry, candy and souvenirs. They will open on Christmas Day at 6 a.m. The one in Terminal 2 will close at 10:30 p.m., the one in Terminal 4 at 9:30 p.m. Jetway Express offers electronic toys, fleece jackets, T-shirts, costume jewelry and travel items such as luggage carts at its stores in Terminals 3 and 6 from 5:45 a.m. until midnight, both Christmas Eve and Day. The TDM and Paradies gift stores at John Wayne Airport will be open both days, too, from 5:30 a.m.

* Chug over to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles if that someone on your list prefers traveling by train instead of watching the little choo-choo circling around the Christmas tree. The station’s ticket counter is open 24 hours, Christmas Eve and Day, no exceptions. Travel vouchers are available for a minimum of $25 and maximum $1,000 (to be used within a year). The very notion of a train ride is as delicious as spiked eggnog with nutmeg sprinkled on top.

* Back to reality. For convenience with an attitude, there’s always the 24-hour 7-Eleven. (Some close between midnight and 5 a.m.) Not bad for last-minute stocking stuffers like beef jerky or even a $12.99 watch, depending on the store. The 7-Eleven on La Cienega Boulevard at Holloway Drive in West Hollywood, for example, sells Extreme Action Watches with plastic straps in blue, yellow, white or green.

* This next one would be a gas to receive for anyone who drives. Pull into a 24-hour gas station because the major brands sell gasoline debit cards in denominations of $25, $50 and $100. For smaller gifts, go into the snack shop for lottery tickets, scratchers or even Pokemon key chains.

* Get a year-round gift at a 24-hour newsstand. A clever way to give a subscription is to buy a magazine at a gift stand, then fill out and mail a subscription card for it. Then tie ribbon or string around the rolled reading material, attach a note about the subscription and, voila, you have a gift.

* Come in out of the cold. Go into a hotel. Admire the fabulous Christmas decorations. Keep moving. First to the concierge for gift certificates for the hotel. Or to the spa for body and bath gifts. At the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, for example, the concierge can provide certificates for any part of the hotel--from the beauty salon to the restaurants to high tea.

* Go to the movies. Look for the major chains. For example, the AMC theaters will operate a full schedule tonight and tomorrow. The ticket window sells gift “entertainment” certificates starting with a minimum of one movie ticket.

* Anyone can use a T-shirt, mug, or baseball cap with some hip L.A. logos, such as the Conga Room or West Hollywood’s House of Blues. Themed items can also be found at many restaurants, from Hard Rock Cafe to Gladstone’s 4 Fish to Popeye’s. Hours vary for these nighttime spots.

* If all else fails, there’s always the ATM.

Candace A. Wedlan can be reached by e-mail socalliving@latimes.com.