ROANOKE RAPIDS — Retailers have seen strong numbers this Christmas shopping season and hope to see them continue. On the other side of the registers, shoppers just hope to see a good deal.

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Louise Conwell, of Roanoke Rapids, came out to the Becker Village Mall looking to buy. “I’m just here for the bargains,” she said.

Shoppers looking to buy are welcome news for store managers. Traditionally the day after Christmas has been associated with returns, but many of those out on the 26th of December were exploiting the sales rather than trying to return something.

“Just looking for the bargains,” said Carolyn Battle, of Roanoke Rapids. Kristy Fleming, of Roanoke Rapids, also was doing some bargain hunting, but she was shopping for others in addition to herself.

“I’m just hanging out with the women,” said Adrian, from Texas in town visiting relatives said. The women he mentioned were also out looking to take advantage of the sales.

“I’m just out looking,” said Liz Hudson, of Roanoke Rapids. “Seeing what they’ve got on sale.” Hudson was getting off to an early start for next year’s Christmas shopping. “You can just go up a size,” she asserted, when buying for children in the family so early.

Vivian Finney of Roanoke Rapids was out shopping for herself and others. “I’m looking to buy,” she said. However, Ronald Johnson of Gaston was just returning a shirt. “I got two just alike,” he said. “Same color and everything.”

With the economy still resting on shaky foundations, shoppers like Craig Bell, of Washington, D.C., believe sales events such as these serve a vital function, even though he discovered the one at JC Penney and Company accidentally.

“It just happened (that we were out looking for something specific) and happened to catch the bargains,” he said. Bell went on to add in this economy “nobody can afford to pay full price.” He feels the only way to shop comfortably is with sales prices.

Certainly the Christmas season represents a vital time for retailers.

But what it seems to represent for shoppers, before and after Christmas, is the chance to do what many find necessary especially in the current economic climate — save their money while buying what they want.