HOLIDAYS HAPPY FOR STORES : LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS CONTRIBUTE TO STRONG RETAIL SEASON.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

With the Christmas shopping clock quickly ticking down Friday afternoon, Dave Eppele walked out of the Glendale Galleria mall empty-handed.

``I'm looking for a world map for my mother's boyfriend,'' said the 40-year-old Glendale resident. ``They have it there, but they have it for $10 cheaper at Borders . . . Look, I gotta run across the street. Nice talking to you.''

``Look, I gotta run'' became the mantra Friday afternoon for thousands of San Fernando Valley shoppers who packed the malls and parking lots, looking for that special last-minute gift.

Retailers will not officially report their December sales until early January, and many of the biggest shopping days are still to come with post-Christmas sales. But already, retail analysts are saying the nation's largest stores are on track to see an increase in purchasing well in excess of 6 percent, making this the strongest Christmas since 1994, according to The International Council of Shopping Centers, which tracks actual purchases in small stores in a cross-section of malls.

The council was reporting a 6.6 percent rise in sales through last weekend.

Sales of jewelry, a category whose performance is tied to the state of the economy, were up 10 percent, according to the shopping center group's surveys.

Electronics retailers also fared very well as Americans clamored for the latest digital cameras, DVD players and personal digital assistants. According to the shopping centers council, the electronics category had the single biggest increase in sales, up 14.6 percent over last year.

Malls around the San Fernando Valley were geared up for Christmas Eve. Some set up special informational booths as quick reference sources for testy shoppers seeking hot items such as Millenniumopoly, MP3 digital music players, cashmere scarfs, bead bracelets, Harry Potter books and GameBoys.

``Kay Bee Toys is really busy. GameBoys are running out of stock,'' said Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga marketing director Janine Baker. ``It's been a great season. We're happy where the economy is right now.''

Consumers thought so, too.

Thousands flocked to the Glendale Galleria, where parking was at a premium. Long lines of cars sat idling in parking structures, while authorities directed traffic. Surprisingly, there were no crashes, said mall security Officer Victor Vasquez.

``Actually things are pretty normal around here seeing that it is the last day of the holiday shopping,'' he said.

Christmas Eve shopping didn't go too well for Raul Reveles, though. He, his wife and children had just finished their Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart in the Panorama City Mall, when the North Hollywood family got into a collision with another motorist in the crowded parking lot. The impact disabled Reveles' new gray Toyota sedan, and a friend volunteered to take the family home.

``We just bought the kids some Legos and toys, now I have to worry about my car. What a Christmas,'' he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Photo: (1 -- 2) Above, Wilkie Choi, left, of La Crescenta and his girlfriend, Faye Chow, join the crowds to get some last-minute shopping done at the Glendale Galleria on Friday, Christmas Eve. At right, 9-month-old Bailey Marshall of Sherman Oaks sports a pair of holiday antlers while shopping with her family. Preliminary figures for the 1999 holiday season indicate the best sales numbers since 1994.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer