MERCHANTS REPORT BRISK SALES FRIDAY

Merchants opened their doors early and closed them late Friday to accommodate the busiest shopping day of the year.

The strategy worked. Stores that opened long before the average 9 or 10 a.m. reported shoppers standing at the doors, waiting to be let in.

For some shops in the Cape Girardeau area, this will be a record year. For most, it at least will be better than average.

"The consumer is going to spend more this year than in years past because of the low interest rates," Chris Bohr, Wal-Mart's co-manager, said. "When we started our special sale at 6 a.m., we already had people standing in the areas where the items were."

The hot sellers at Wal-Mart included 13-inch color televisions, bread machines and bicycles. Customers parked far away from the door and crowded in to get those and other items.

The J.C. Penney store was another early opener, offering sales from 7 to 11 a.m. Employees gave away tree ornaments containing gift certificates worth from $5 to $250. The ornaments were gone in an hour.

Shoppers there seemed most interested in athletic apparel, including jackets and coats. They bought Christmas ornaments with sports motifs and cosmetic gift boxes.

Manager Harry Rediger, who has been with Penney's for 18 years, said he saw a record crowd for the day after Thanksgiving.

Even so, it won't be his biggest sales day this year. Because Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday, merchants will have one last opportunity to attract procrastinating shoppers.

Another West Park Mall store, Famous-Barr, opened a little later than its neighbor. When the crowds finished at Penney's, they drifted over to Famous-Barr for massagers, quilts, new fragrances and other popular items, store manager Jo Sharp said.

"Our biggest challenge is that we have a ton of merchandise here," she said. "We have to get it out and make it available to the customer. We had to hire over 50 extra people this season, and we only hired 26 last year."

Christmas business began early for Famous, with the first buyers starting in September. The trend made Cape Girardeau's Famous-Barr one of the most profitable in the chain, which kept employees busy.

Rodney Bridges, owner of Garber's Men's Wear in Town Plaza Shopping Center near the intersection of Kingshighway and William, said his gift wrappers also started using Christmas paper in September. With a store full of noon crowds on Friday, he had little time to talk, but he said flannel shirts and cotton sweaters were moving quickly.

Downtown merchants were no exception. Chuck McGinty, owner of C.P. McGinty Jewelers, said his store was to stay open until 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday to accommodate customers, although most come before dark.

Store traffic was better-than-expected Friday, he said, with people asking for diamond tennis bracelets, collectibles and seasonal dinnerware.

"Our sales are very much ahead of last year," McGinty said. "I think the economy is better, and this is one more year we have been in business and people have heard about us."

However, the most rushed time is yet to come for McGinty. Customers wait until nearer Christmas to have customized jewelry made. Some nights McGinty and his employees work all night, go home just long enough to take a shower, and return to work.

"But we love it," McGinty said.

A state championship football game changed shopping trends in nearby Jackson. When the high school Indians left, so did several busloads of fans, leaving the town relatively empty for the biggest shopping day of the year.

Vanita Jones, president of the Jackson Merchants Association, said several of the store owners in Jackson went to the game, directing employees to mind the stores.

Even though Friday was a little slower because of football, no one was complaining.

"They will be back tomorrow," Jones said. "The Jackson merchants stand behind the high school team. We all had our windows done up to wish them good luck."

However, Ross Furniture's Jeff Moore didn't notice much of a difference. His Friday was busy, and he predicted the next 29 days would be about the same as people purchase furniture for gifts or to spruce up their homes. Curios and glide rockers are the big sellers, he said.