FORT WORTH, Texas — Procrastinators rule this holiday shopping season, with men the worst of all, according to a recent survey.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, wants to help. It has launched a Web site to help last-minute male shoppers find gifts for the women on their list.

The site — at www.helpaguybuy.com — takes men through 10 questions that lead to eight personality profiles for women and gift suggestions for each. For instance, if your wife is into sports, the site will suggest an iPod armband for $28.76 or a sports watch for $48.76. If your mother is an entertainer, the site will suggest a convection microwave oven for $198.88 or a Michael Buble CD for $9.72.

"We were just looking for a way to have a more convenient way for guys to shop," said Christi Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart. "We know that sometimes it's a struggle for them. We're hoping that it takes a lot of the guesswork out of finding a gift as they profile their wives, girlfriends and moms."

In a survey last month, Wal-Mart found that 43 percent of men walk through stores until they find the right gift and 64 percent of women make a list of gift ideas before heading out to shop.

Greg Farley of Denton, Texas, who has barely started his shopping, said the Wal-Mart Web site sounds helpful. "I'll probably hop on that tonight," he said. "I'm still figuring out what to get. I have lots of women to buy for."

Industry experts say more people are waiting to shop later in the holiday season: People have less time to shop, and penny-pinching consumers are holding out for the big, last-minute sales.

A recent survey by America's Research Group showed that shopping last weekend was at its lowest levels in more than six years. Retailers have been holding back on giving big discounts this holiday season, and as a result, sales are weak, said Britt Beemer, chairman of the research firm, based in Charleston, S.C.

Industry consultants expect traffic and sales to pick up through Christmas Eve. Momentum has been building: The ShopperTrak sales and traffic numbers for the week ended Dec. 15 were the second straight week of double-digit sales and traffic increases from the previous week. The industry expects holiday retail sales to hit about $475 billion this year, up 4 percent from last year. Other forecasts are for a smaller increase.

Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, said today — "Super Saturday" — will be crucial. "It's the procrastinators' day," Martin said. "Usually, you'll find some men shopping."

As of Dec. 11, more consumers (17 percent) hadn't even started their holiday shopping versus those (12 percent) who were done, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation of 8,135 consumers. Men were the biggest stragglers, the survey found, with 1 out of 5 yet to start shopping.

It's always the men who are the last-minute shoppers," said Ruth Weir, manager of Village Jewelers in Arlington, Texas. She said she has seen more men shopping this week and expects to see some on Christmas Eve, too.

Of course, not all men fit that description. Several men interviewed on Tuesday were done or nearly done with their holiday shopping.

Daniel Williams of Fort Worth finished his Christmas shopping Monday. His wife and mother "tell me exactly what they want," he said. "My wife drops a lot of hints through the year."

Still, the Wal-Mart survey found that 33 percent of men say their wife is the hardest person on their list to shop for while 16 percent of women said their husband came in second, with teens as the most difficult.

Wal-Mart's www.helpaguybuy.com will remain up after the holidays, Gallagher said. "We've had such positive feedback that we're looking at other online tools as a way to reach out to guys," she said.

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