RETAILERS BRACE FOR CROWDS

Cape Girardeau retailers today greeted the traditional first day of the Christmas shopping season, expected to be the busiest of the year, with good cheer brought on by strong sales.

Retailers said they look for shoppers to continue their spending ways this holiday season. West Park Mall Center Manager Tony Stephens said he believes the good news for the area is that sales are up.

"We're not feeling the retail malaise that exists in other areas," he said. "Our sales are strong for the year, especially for the last three months. So given that, we're really optimistic about the holiday season."

Jack L. Watts, general manager of the Sears store in the Town Plaza Shopping Center, agreed area retail sales are good. "Even talking with some of the other retailers in the area, I think we're very fortunate at this time."

Stephens said merchants at West Park Mall are ready to begin the busy Christmas shopping season today. Sales will be on at different stores, he said. The mall will have about 10 temporary tenants during the shopping season, he said, in addition to its 80 full-time merchants.

Venture, situated in the mall, is opening at 7 a.m. for a big sale instead of at its normal opening hour of 9 a.m. The mall's other two department stores will also start their holiday selling season today, Stephens said.

The big event for children today will be the arrival of Santa Claus, said Stephens. The "father of Christmas" will appear at the mall at 9 a.m. and will be there during all business hours until Christmas, he said.

Santa will be in the JCPenney Court at the west end of the mall. And as in past years, the mall will feature its immense talking teddy bear in the Famous Barr Court at the mall's east end, said Stephens.

Parents can have their children's picture taken with Santa. Photo packages are offered at various prices, he said. "Even if they don't want a picture, they're welcome to talk to Santa about their Christmas list."

Stephens said this Christmas season the mall is providing a new service for parents and their children. Each Saturday, the mall theater, West Park 4 Cine, will feature two showings of a free movie for children.

"So the kids can watch the movies and their parents can shop for an hour. This is the first time we know that it's been done anywhere. We think it's a wonderful opportunity for the kids and parents both," Stephens said.

Stephens said the free showings will take place at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. This Saturday the free movie is "Home Alone."

Santa will be rivaled by another children's celebrity at Sears. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" will be on hand the entire Christmas season.

Starting today, Watts said, children, for a small donation, can get their pictures taken with E.T. The character's appearance follows the Thursday night network television premiere by CBS of the movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," Watts said.

Pictures will be taken with E.T. today and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., he said.

Sears opens today and Saturday at 8 a.m., rather than the usual 9 a.m. On both days, the store will close at 10 p.m.

"We're anticipating a big day (today)," said Watts. "We have some extraordinary two-hour specials to start the day off at 8 o'clock. Then we'll continue through the day with our normal good specials. We hope the weather's going to be good for everybody and they all come out and shop 'till they drop."

Kmart, at 11 S. Kingshighway, eased into the Christmas shopping season by opening on Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jim O'Rear, store fashion department manager, said company stores nationwide opened on Thursday after Detroit-area Kmart stores last year successfully tested a Thanksgiving shopping day.

"This day kind of helps us get geared up for this weekend really," he said. "It was a little bit better than we expected. People tended to be in a fairly good mood to get out and have someplace to go."

Kmart, like Venture, also opens today at 7 a.m., said O'Rear. An early bird special will run from 7 to 11 a.m., he said.

A downtown merchant in Cape Girardeau said the downtown merchants are looking for "a really good rush" today and Saturday, when the stores will remain open until 8 p.m. The merchant, Evelyn Boardman, owner of the ladies fashion accessories shop, Madder Rose Ltd. at 31-A North Main, said downtown merchants have special sales planned to kick off the Christmas shopping season.

She said the trees along the floodwall are lit up for the holiday.

"The lights are up, the holiday window decorations are all in, and the music's in the air down here. We're ready to go," she said.