Get your comfortable walking shoes ready, practice pushing a shopping cart and take breathing exercises as a relaxation method, because it’s that time of again, the biggest shopping day of the year.

Area merchants began final preparations this week for Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that will see many people hit the stores in search of the perfect holiday bargains.

Randy Beeson, manager of Fred’s on the Greenville Bypass, said he and his associates are ready for Friday.

&uot;We’ll open at 5 a.m. just as we have done every year since we opened,&uot; he said Monday afternoon.

&uot;We will close at 9 p.m. Friday night so basically we’re extending our hours with four more for the customers.&uot;

Beeson said he would encourage all shoppers to shop at home first before venturing out of town, because many of the local stores are home owned.

&uot;When people shop here, their tax dollars go into the local economy,&uot; he said.

&uot;They are spent on our schools, roads, libraries and parks.

If that money goes out of town, it doesn’t benefit our city.&uot;

Another locally owned business that will greet local shoppers on Friday is The Pineapple at 132 W. Commerce St.

Instead of a sale, they will host an open house for shoppers.

&uot;We’re having an open house for two days after Thanksgiving,&uot; said Manager Katrina Scofield.

&uot;We have lots of scarves that really popular this year and also initial items such as purses and jewelry.&uot;

Scofield said The Pineapple is also Christmas decoration headquarters and she added they have lots of gifts for men, including Auburn/Alabama branding irons and Mossy Oak Bibles. As always, Scofield said gift-wrapping is free.

Just up the street from The Pineapple, Greenville Shoe Shop will also be bustling with Christmas shopping savings.

Store Manager Linda McVay said they would have a great sale going on with specials throughout the store, and a good customer service.

&uot;We do have the best customer service,&uot; McVay said.

&uot;We are a kid friendly store.

We have a place set up for kids so they can amuse themselves while the parents shop.

McVay said her staff will also keep an eye on the kiddies and there is no need to worry about them hurting anything.

&uot;If they move the shoes around, we’ll go find them and put them back,&uot; she said.

&uot;It is not a problem for us. We like kids.&uot;

Main Street Executive Director Nancy Idland said she hopes everyone will shop local merchants first this holiday season.

&uot;I want to encourage everyone to try shopping at home,&uot; she said.

&uot;Their tax money will stay in our community and that helps our library, law enforcement and other needs.

We tend to forget that when we make large purchases out of town.

She said shopping downtown is convenient.

&uot;We do try to offer friendly service and it’s easier to find a place to park downtown,&uot; she said.

&uot;It is safe and you can get most of your gifts wrapped with few exceptions.

As an extra incentive, Greenville Main Street will draw for a cruise on Saturday at 2 p.m. at McFerrin’s Jewelry.

For several weeks, West Point Stevens, Greenville Hardware, McFerrin’s Jewelry, Elizabeth Wilson Florist, Murphy’s, Greenville Shoe Shop, The Pineapple and Hainje’s have all had pink flamingos adorning the businesses.

This is part of the &uot;Come Sail Away&uot; campaign, which had customers registering for cruise.

So on Friday and Saturday, look for the pink flamingos, shop and register, and this holiday season might find you sailing away for shopping at home.