NATCHEZ — Though its name sounds ominous, Black Friday is anything but for retail store and small shop owners — it’s the biggest shopping day of the year.

It has become a national tradition for shoppers to get up early and bargain hunt on the day after Thanksgiving, and in the Miss-Lou it is no exception.

Mary Flach, the manager at Belk in the Natchez Mall, said the home and clothing store will open its doors open early, and that employees were scurrying in the days before to prepare for today’s onslaught of retail-bargain inspired hunters.

“We’ve been working from can to can’t,” she said. “We’re working 24-7.”

From the major details to the minors, the store needs to be prepared for Black Friday, and that includes having more employees than usual.

“We have beefed up our staff,” Flach said.

“We have a 17-percent increase in our staff for the holidays.”

“This is the time of year we have to make sure we have everything prepared for the customers,” she said.

In downtown Natchez, Sarah Roberts — one of the co-owners of Seasons — said all three of the store’s owners will be there to work Black Friday, instead of the usual one at a time.

“We’re going to eat Thanksgiving dinner and then come to the store to bring merchandise in,” she said.

Roberts said the store has already seen some pre-Black Friday shopping trickle in from those who came to Natchez to stay with their families.

“We’re looking for a big turnout,” she said.

“We’re excited to see how big a turnout it will be.”

Owner of Plantation Imports, Steven Palmer, said the fall season has been slow for his business, but he hopes today’s official opening of the shopping season will turn that around.

“We are definitely looking for a big crowd,” he said.