Haven't finished your holiday gift shopping yet? Neither has anyone else, it seems.

Maybe that's because Christmas falls on a Monday this year, leaving one last weekend for power shopping. Or maybe it's because the Internet has lulled us into thinking we can get anything at the last minute.

Whatever it is, retail experts expect stores to be crowded come Dec. 24, and retailers themselves are counting on procrastinators to reach their holiday sales goals.

But what about Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving? Isn't that when most shopping takes place?

Retail consultant Patti Pao says the busiest shopping day of the year should be called "I" Friday instead, because that's when everyone bought loot for themselves.

In other words, no matter how early retailers try to launch the holiday season, the last minute is still when things get done.

asap spoke with Pao, founder of the consulting firm Pao Principle, about the shopping waiting game.

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asap: First off, why are you calling it "I" Friday?

Pao: (In) exit polls, the people who said they were shopping for Christmas were exactly flat from last year, but sales increased by almost 19 percent. And then when you looked at what was in everyone's cart, I said, "I'm sorry but you're not giving someone an $89 19-inch TV and going, 'Hi, Merry Christmas.'" ... This has really been a year where a lot of Christmas traditions have kind-of been broken. Black Friday is one of them. I have never seen so much self-shopping as I have this year.

asap: Why are people delaying their holiday shopping? Is it because of the Internet? Are people just busier? What's going on?

Pao: First of all, this is the first year in probably 10 years where the Christmas season has been the longest it's ever been. It's been six weeks. So, it's almost a week to a week-and-a-half longer than it was last year just because Thanksgiving was so early. And so I think what it's done is it's put everyone into a false sense of complacency.

asap: So the fact that retailers keep trying to start the holiday shopping season earlier each year is actually counterproductive?

Pao: I think it's a big waste of their time and floor space. Because you know what? You can't force people to shop any earlier -- short of basically giving it away to them for free.

asap: Back to the Internet. Is it a factor? It seems like more stores are opening later. Are they competing with online?

Pao: I've got to tell you, everything I wanted to buy on the Internet -- out of stock. ... The malls being open later hours absolutely answered the whole call for convenience. But, in the same vein, all these mall stores opening hours later, later, later, later -- it's just training people to procrastinate even more. I'm going to be shopping on the 23rd of December, because I can.

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Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.

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