Steve Stricker didn’t quite know what he was going to do for his last minute Christmas shopping.

Sunday afternoon, Stricker headed into Kohl’s in the Stadium Retail Center for some browsing to find gifts for the last three people on his list before the Christmas shopping season wraps up permanently to start a three-day holiday weekend.

But while forecasters were worried about what the holiday shopping season would bring in terms of overall sales, Stricker said that he has spent more money this year thanks to extensive sales and the ability to shop at local stores.

“I hit Bass Pro Shops for my dad and my brothers, and I’m hoping to take care of my mom today at Kohl’s,” Stricker said. “It’s nice to be able to go to places here in town and not have to drive to Modesto. You don’t have to deal with the crowds, and I’ve been able to go to more places because of that.”

Bargain shoppers kicked off the holiday season with a bang for the annual Black Friday sales. They lined up outside of Best Buy hours before the early morning opening to get the best prices on everything from DVD’s to laptop computers.

The addition of large spaces like Bass Pro Shops, Best Buy, and JC Penney only made things easier for local residents who wanted to take care of their holiday shopping without having to venture outside of the community.

Before the work week started, Jenny Ambrose headed to Manteca’s largest electronics retailer to pick up a few last minute items as well as some CDs that she’s been putting off buying.

“I used to have to go somewhere else to buy this stuff, but now it’s right here in Manteca and that saves me a lot of time,” Ambrose said. “This should finish everything up for me today, and now I’ll be able to relax and enjoy the holiday with my friends and family.”