At this time of year to walk through the streets of Mérida’s Centro or bordering on the commercial plazas is an odyssey that tests the limits of the patience of any human being, because the number of people who make their “last minute” Christmas purchases significantly affects the traffic.
And it is a reality, the days pass, some people buy their Christmas presents, but on the 24th of December, a massive exodus of frantic Yucatecans take on the streets of the “White City” looking to get a bargain.
This phenomenon, known in Mexico as “compras de panico” (“panic buying”) leads, in addition to the unbearable traffic, to a considerable increase in business profits, which equals on average to three months of activity on normal dates, as confirmed by the National Chamber of Commerce of Merida (Canacome).
To attract more customers, businesses offer discounts, monthly payments with credit card and specials; besides, the hours of opening and attention are extended (so Santa can go shooping in the middle of the night).
However, Meridanos assure that this does not improve the service, but on the contrary, generates endless rows for inside the stores, tremendous crowds in the streets of centro, and traffic jams, inside and outside parking lots in th area.
Source: http://sipse.com/milenio/