Store opens up family wallet

Store openings are big-time entertainment in Cape Girardeau.

Even a so-called "soft" opening gets the shoppers excited.

That's the way it was Sunday when Cape Girardeau's newest department store opened.

My family had to go gawk at the merchandise. So did several of our friends.

I initially thought about staying home, but I couldn't resist the chance to see the latest attraction. Besides, Major League Baseball hadn't started.

We walked into the store and immediately were greeted by a happy store attendant who wanted us to get a charge card. Only in America does credit come this easily.

The store was huge and crammed full of everything from shirts to shoes and dishes to vacuum cleaners.

The store also came equipped with deep, black carts that can hold a ton of clothes and other merchandise. Such shopping tools just encourage you to buy more stuff.

At one point, I managed to lose my wife, Joni, and 9-year-old daughter, Bailey, amid the jungle of clothing hanging on the racks. I was about ready to call in bloodhounds before I spotted them meandering around the merchandise.

Our 13-year-old daughter, Rebecca, was away on a church trip or she too would have been deeply exploring the store and risking her life savings to walk away with some colorful attire.

Dressing for success, as we all know, isn't cheap.

A fellow dad took one look at the immense store and its stylish clothing and immediately started calculating the likelihood of bankruptcy with all the stuff his family might buy.

Bailey had no trouble finding clothes she liked. Neither did I.

I'll give Joni credit. She managed to avoid spending a dime on herself Sunday afternoon.

But I was caught up in the excitement of yet another chain store opening its doors.

Besides, I discovered I knew a lot of the people working there. It wouldn't have been neighborly not to have bought something.

I enjoyed the experience even though no one was selling hot dogs or saying "play ball."

Compared to the cost of Cardinal ball tickets these days, it was probably cheaper to go shopping.

At any rate, the great thing about shopping when a store is new is that the store clerks are happy to see you.

And since it was a "soft" opening, the aisles weren't so clogged that you would feel like you were at Mardi Gras.

About the only thing missing from this store were a couple of couches where guys could sit and relax.

But all in all, it was a nice workout. When you can walk in a circle -- actually a huge square -- and do so several times without getting winded, you know you're in good shopping shape.

Of course, I had to take a nap when I got home.

Joni, on the other hand, thought it was invigorating and decided to participate in a session of swimming aerobics at a local fitness center.

All in all, I felt good about Sunday's outing and my family's contribution to the local economy. I'm sure all that sales tax money will come in handy at city hall.

And after Sunday's shopping spree, I'm convinced that bigger is better when it comes to store carts.

It's an economic stimulus package that's better than anything Congress could craft.

Mark Bliss is a Southeast Missourian staff writer.