Today is the only full-contact shopping day of the year.

That's how four friends from Advance, Mo., describe Black Friday, the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

By 4 a.m. today, Amanda and Amber Bond, Nikki Becker and Katie Eggimann will be at Wal-Mart in Cape Girardeau with shopping lists in hands. The women will join thousands of others in Cape Girardeau as most stores open the doors at 5 a.m. for holiday shoppers.

Black Friday has turned into an eight-year tradition for the Advance women. Several years ago, they made special Black Friday T-shirts to wear for the occasion.

On the eve of one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the women compiled their store advertisements and made a list of items they want to buy.

"We'll get in teams of two, and each team gets a list. Then we map out our route of which stores to hit and when," Amanda Bond said.

The woman said the early-bird sales entice them to hit the stores as soon as they open.

Many of local retailers offer sales from 5 to 10 a.m. J.C. Penney is handing out free Disney snow globes to its earliest customers.

Becker and Eggimann plan to purchase a computer printer for their parents. The Bonds are on the lookout for a new microwave. And all of the women said DVDs are on sale today.

While there aren't many big items they're looking for, the Advance women will be up before the sun rises to shop.

"There's just not that much out there that I've been impressed with," Becker said. "Usually there's one kid's toy that is a must-have, but I haven't seen that this year."

The National Retail Federation, which anticipates retailers around the country can expect approximately 137 million shoppers this weekend, said Barbie and TMX Elmo are the hot toys this year.

Other hot toys include video game systems like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as Bratz dolls for young girls.

"Retailers can expect to see long lines of shoppers eager to get their hands on this year's hot toys," said Tracy Mullin, federation president and CEO. "For parents, the name of the game is 'buy it when you see it.' There is no telling how long these hot toys will last on store shelves."

Several retailers across the country opened their doors on Thanksgiving, while online retailer Amazon.com offered special holiday discounts. In the past, grocery retailers and 24-hour convenience stores like 7-Eleven Inc. were the only shopping options on Thanksgiving.

"Some retailers are trying to find a way to take advantage of the fact that once dinner is over, many families are looking for some kind of entertainment," said National Retail Federation spokeswoman Ellen Davis.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. revealed some "top secret" Black Friday deals on its Web site Thursday, including a 52-inch TV set for $474 and an inflatable six-foot snow globe for $80.

As for online opportunities, Sears, Roebuck and Co. again allowed holiday shoppers to pay for Black Friday deals on its Web site Thanksgiving, such as 20 percent off Kenmore appliances and 50 percent off certain Craftsman-brand tools.

"Online retailers are making Thanksgiving a huge priority, because they have no competition from stores," Davis said. "I think we're going to see that trend increasing."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

jfreeze@semissourian.com

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