NATCHEZ &8212; In addition to taking advantage of the early bird sales, shoppers at Belk and J.C. Penny&8217;s had other reasons for getting up early and hitting the store floors Friday.

Carolyn Saucier from Natchez came for the sales at Belk with her daughter, Jennifer, and granddaughter Emily, who were in for the holiday weekend from Panama City Beach, Fla.

The three were in the store searching for the right jacket for Saucier&8217;s husband, she said.

&8220;We&8217;re hitting all the stores today,&8221; Saucier said. &8220;We started at Wal-Mart in Vidalia, then the one in Natchez, Fred&8217;s, K-Mart and J.C. Penny&8217;s.&8221;

Jennifer said getting up at 4 a.m. to go shopping was &8220;a woman&8217;s thing,&8221; but Saucier had another reason for shopping with them.

&8220;We did this same thing 10 years ago when Jennifer was pregnant with Emily, so it&8217;s kind of a 10-year anniversary,&8221; Saucier said.

Despite the fact that they were up until 3:30 a.m. playing video games, cousins Jedde Bass, 14, and Patrick Lucas, 15, from Jonesville were in J.C. Penny&8217;s with their grandmother, Pat Taunton, looking for good deals on clothes.

&8220;This has been me and Patrick&8217;s little tradition for nine years,&8221; Taunton said.

Bass said he was glad to be a part of Taunton and Lucas&8217;s tradition for the first time this year.

One shopper made a sacrifice by getting up early to shop for her loved one.

Jan Wolmack from Jonesville forfeited a hunt on the deer stand to get a special camera for her husband Bill, she said.

&8220;I don&8217;t usually do this early bird shopping and I started to wear my camo to the store with me, but I figured I&8217;d disturb the other hunters if I came into the woods late,&8221; Wolmack said.

Wolmack said she found her husband&8217;s camera at the Vidalia Wal-Mart and it was one of three left.

She decided to come to Belk to get the rest of the shopping out of the way since she wouldn&8217;t make it back in time for a morning hunt, she said.

&8220;But I assure you I&8217;ll be back on the stand this afternoon,&8221; Wolmack said.

Charlene Smith woke up with her family at 4 a.m. to travel from Slidell to the Belk in Natchez.

&8220;It&8217;s better because it&8217;s kind of a smaller crowd and no one you know sees you without your makeup,&8221; Smith said.

&8220;Besides the only high that you should get in life is getting a $60 jacket for 10 bucks.&8221;