Black Friday weekend sees budget-conscious shoppers in NY

December 02, 2009 11:43 AM

Michelle Kim

ALBANY -- Cold-weather apparel, Blu-ray DVD players, small kitchen appliances and portable navigation devices were among some of the hot sellers in New York stores Black Friday weekend, according to the Retail Council of New York State.

"Top sellers revealed consumers' consumers about the struggling economy as basics like cold weather essentials (coats, gloves, sweaters), low-priced accessories, books and home goods (small home appliances and decor) flew off the shelves," the RCNYS said.

For shoppers with more to spend, flat screen televisions, digital cameras and portable navigation devices were top sellers, according to RCNYS.

In a survey of merchants across the state for the RCNYS's annual Holiday Sales Watch report, the group found merchants stocking lower-priced, "practical" merchandise for the holiday season, and stocking less inventory.

Many of the retailers also reported offering special promotions of anywhere from 10 to 60 percent off, said RCNYS.

Fifty-eight percent of merchants said their sales for the weekend were the same as or better than sales over the same period of time in 2008.

Fifty-three percent said they were pleased with the sales activity in their stores over the weekend even though shoppers were frugal

Additionally, New York merchants saw an increase in online sales over the holiday weekend, which RCNYS is attributing in part to a new law that requires sales tax on many Internet transactions, eliminating the "unfair competitive advantage" by online-exclusive retailers.

Some of the other hot sellers this past weekend, according to RCNYS:

Girls: