SHOPPERS ENJOY BIG DAY IN AREA

The three sisters couldn't be happier. They had money in their pockets, gasoline in the car and each other as shopping buddies.

The smell of bargains permeated the air.

Pam Bollinger, Lena Payne and Donna Seets were a few of the thousands of Cape Girardeau-area shoppers who crowded into Wal-Mart, West Park Mall and downtown on Friday. They were determined to wrap up as much of their Christmas shopping as they could.

"We spent two hours here," Payne said, pushing her second cartload of gifts out of Wal-Mart. "We still have several stores to go. I expect we will spend about six or seven hours shopping and then head for bingo."

The selection and reasonable prices surpassed those in stores last year, the sisters agreed. They responded by spending about $100 each in Wal-Mart and expected to spend a total of $600 Friday.

Bob and Myra Boehl of Green Bay, Wis., were in Cape Girardeau visiting relatives. While they had most of their shopping done, they needed a few more items before they headed to the Philippines for the Christmas season. Myra Boehl's family is there.

American goods are popular in her native country, especially any clothing bearing sports logos, she said.

Finances were a little tighter for the couple this year because Bob Boehl returned to college, but prices were reasonable, and the couple expected to have a good Christmas anyway.

And Carol McLemore was in Wal-Mart for a completely different reason. She wasn't Christmas shopping, but searched for bargains for the two daughters who were with her.

"I'd rather shop late at night when things aren't so crowded," she said. "Today, I just wanted to get some clothes for the kids."

The McLemore family, like hundreds of others, planned to grab a bite of fast food and stop at West Park Mall before returning home.