In keeping with a holiday tradition, last-minute shoppers this holiday season are more likely to be men, according to a new survey. This, as retailers are depending more on procrastinators this holiday season.

Without one or two stand out must-have toys or apparel to lure people into stores, many shoppers have decided to hold off until the final hours before Christmas to open their wallets.

A quirky calendar hasn't helped. Chanukah is falling late, and Christmas Eve is on a Saturday, letting shoppers wait even longer than last year. The National Retail Federation said with so many consumers still looking to find all the gifts on their holiday list, retailers can expect to see crowded stores this Saturday.

A recent report from the NRF estimated that consumers had yet to complete 18 percent of their holiday spending as of Dec. 19. That suggests lots of people still have at least one fifth of their shopping left to do. That compares with 31 percent during the same time a year ago.

And businesses will depend on those lines to lift their holiday profits. Other reasons for a slow start to the shopping season are gift cards. Gift cards are only recorded as sales after they have been used.