The holidays are about togetherness and good cheer, of course, but let's face it: there is intense pressure to get friends and loved ones the perfect gift.

Whitehorse shoppers have been hitting the stores with increased ferocity these last few weeks, scouring shelves for the new, the hot, the unique and the special.

Lines at bigger stores like Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire have been long, and aisles cluttered with people and shopping carts.

Shelves at stores of all sizes have been emptied and re-stocked numerous times to keep up with consumer demand. Some items have sold out, however, and likely won't be here in time for Tuesday.

'Well, the Wii and Guitar Hero were quite popular but we don't have any in store now,' EB Games manager Mitch McGregor said of the popular game system and guitar game.

The Nintendo Wii Game system and Guitar Hero 3 both sold out as soon as the latest shipment arrived, which was Dec. 12.

McGregor is not keeping a waiting list, as sales rules don't allow it, so eager gamers will have to be patient. Reports across Canada indicate shoppers are having a hard time finding either product in any stores.

McGregor said of the items still in stock, any Wii games, Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 are amongst the store's most popular Christmas sellers.

Shoppers looking for something a little higher-end are finding what they need at Erik's Audiotronic, store manager Mike Pemberton said.

'Flat panel televisions, they are hot,' he said. 'We sell one just about every day. Thin is in, and everyone wants one,' he said.

For those who may be a little less technologically-inclined, staff at Mac's Fireweed Books report that their Canadian dollar parity sale has been going well.

'It's going just dandy; books are going like hotcakes,' said Lise Schoneville.

The December-long sale has seen the often lower American prices on books reflected in the sale price following months of a Canadian dollar resurgence.

Schoneville said among the best-sellers are titles from Oprah's book club, especially Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. 'We just got a big stock in, so I expect to see those go fast too.'

The Yukon bookstore also reports sales of local artist and author Chris Caldwell's book Scenic Adventures in the Yukon are continuing to do well, following its September release.

A few streets back from Mac's on Main Street is The Country House on Hawkins Street, a furniture store that gets especially decked out in Christmas decorations each year.

'We found people shopped early this year,' said manager Tania Luemahnn.

'We sold out in November of these Austrian crystal snowflakes we had.'

The most popular item this season is dining room table sets, she said, for Christmas dinners. Otherwise, decorations featuring reindeer and snowflakes made numerous appearances at their cash registers, she said.

Those unsure of what to get their someone special need just remember one adage: Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Troy Ford, manager of Murdoch's Gem Shop, said this year's hot-ticket items are diamonds and pearls, which have been selling quite well. The store is very busy these days, he said.

'There's a few things we've sold out of, but we've still got a pretty good stock,' he said.