Aside from sweltering heat and sticky humidity, August usually means an influx in retail spending in Southeast Missouri. It's back to school shopping season and Cape Girardeau retailers are ready and waiting.

"We're gearing up for it," says Macy's manager Sharon Ebersohl. "We do real well during that time." The store's best sellers at this time of year? Juniors, kids, and boys departments all do very well according to Ebersohl.

Back to school shopping is a key season for all retailers, says Susan Godorov, vice president of marketing for Centro Properties Group, the company that owns and operates West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau. They have been preparing advertising campaigns for four months.

"It's something we definitely plan for and prepare for," she says.

Even though gas prices are up and consumers are cutting back on spending, it's really "business as usual" for the mall. Godorov explains: "I believe West Park Mall is poised in a great way because it's a local mall. People are less prepared to travel so as the only regional mall, we are excited about the opportunities for the local market."

John Mehner agrees. "Cape itself is the largest city between St. Louis and Memphis, so we really are a regional shopping center." The chief executive officer and president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce also says retail is one of the main attractions of the area because of the available selection.

For the past several years the city of Cape Girardeau has participated in the sales tax holiday that falls during the first weekend in August — just in time for those headed back to school in the fall to stock up on the items they need, or in some cases, want.

The tax holiday includes clothing, school supplies, and computers, up to a certain dollar amount. "We benefit during that back to school time as well," says Mehner. "We think about Missouri a lot, but we get a lot of Illinois traffic, too. That's a big thing."

People are less likely to travel to different markets with gas prices so high so we look forward to serving the Cape community, especially where we might have lost some consumers to the St. Louis market, says Godorov.

"I think it's true that people will be more regional in their purchasing," Mehner says, also noting the large number of Illinois residents that cross the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge to fill up their gas tanks. Missouri's fuel prices are some 15 cents less than our neighboring state.

A recent look at regional sales tax receipts shows local retailers are the ones still feeling the crunch of a slowing economy. Jackson's revenue sales tax collections for the first six months of 2008 were down 2.3 percent. Cape Girardeau County tax receipts are down by 1.3 percent, and Cape Girardeau receipts are down 0.3 percent. The drop in sales tax collections is an indicator that Southeast Missouri isn't entirely insulated from a slack in spending nationwide. But with high gas prices projected to keep shoppers close to home this back to school season, retailers hope to see consumers put their dollars into the local market.

Cape Girardeau considers its retail trade area to be about 40 miles in diameter. Too far north, people start teetering toward south St. Louis. Too far east there's Paducah, Ky., and south there's Sikeston, Mo., explains Mehner. But a 35 — 45 minute drive time is about right for people to travel to Cape for retail needs.

West Park Mall has value-oriented retailers, says Godorov, so that's attractive when people are minding their money. Old Navy does carry the latest in fashion, but at a more valued price, Godorov explains.

This summer the mall opened Charlotte Russe which is doing very well, she says.

The back-to-school campaign starts around the first weekend in August, also the tax free weekend, and runs about three weeks. When students return to the classroom, they often want to shop again. Ebersohl agrees, saying their busiest back to school time is about the third week in July through the third or fourth week of August.

"Some wait and come back to shop after school starts," she says. Those shopping for specific parochial school uniforms usually come in earlier to get deals on the collared shirts or slacks.

"It's all about the selections," says Mehner. "And not just retail." People travel to the area to go shopping but also take advantage of the dining options, and some might just stick around for a movie, he says.