Holiday Sales Watch – Report 1: Bargains Gobbled Up by Budget-Conscious Shoppers

ALBANY, NY (12/02/2009)(readMedia)-- Budget-conscious shoppers flooded stores Black Friday weekend gobbling up bargains as they headed for the door. In the wake of 2008's dismal holiday season, 53 percent of merchants surveyed by the Retail Council of New York State early this week said they were pleased with the sales activity in their stores over Black Friday weekend even though shoppers were frugal.

"Retailers monitored their customers' shopping habits all year long and weren't surprised by penny-wise purchases Black Friday weekend," said Retail Council President and Chief Executive Officer James R. Sherin. "Merchants entered the 2009 holiday season with a strategy: Stock lower-priced, practical merchandise and less of it to combat the potential of soft sales."

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

Top sellers for Black Friday weekend revealed consumers' concerns about the struggling economy as basics like cold weather essentials (coats, gloves, sweaters), low-priced accessories, books and home goods (small home appliances and dcor) flew off the shelves. For shoppers with more to spend, flat screen televisions, digital cameras and portable navigation devices were top sellers.

Retailers throughout the state reported on their Black Friday weekend sales through the Retail Council of New York State's annual "Holiday Sales Watch," a periodic snapshot of sales activity in stores small and large between late November and early January.

In addition to ordering less merchandise and stocking lower-priced, practical items, many survey participants confirmed they also offered special promotions of anywhere from 10 to 60 percent off. Other participants confirmed an increase in online sales over the holiday weekend.

"While store front retailers are trying to sell to recession weary and budget-conscious consumers this holiday season, Internet merchants have lost some of their unfair competitive advantage this year on the sales tax front. New York's new law, which the Retail Council strongly supported, requiring the imposition and collection of sales tax on many Internet transactions is helping to even the playing field and could drive more consumer business back to the store level," said Sherin.

The Retail Council's next Holiday Sales Watch will gauge mid-season sales activity. The results of this survey will be released Dec. 16, 2009.

Hot Sellers

2009 Holiday Season

For Girls: Barbie, Dolls (generic), Disney Hannah Montana, Video Games, Disney Princess, Dora the Explorer, American Girl, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Zhu Zhu Pets

For Boys: Video Games, Transformers, LEGO, Cars (generic), Nintendo Wii, Trucks (generic), Bakugan, Hot Wheels, Nintendo DS, Fisher-Price Toys

For Adults: Cold weather apparel, books, video games, Blu-ray DVD players, small kitchen appliances, gift cards/certificates, digital cameras, jewelry and accessories, portable navigation devices

About the Retail Council of New York State:

The "Voice of Retailing" in New York state, the Retail Council represents thousands of member stores of all sort and size. The Retail Council offers money-saving group benefit programs and government relations expertise to its members. For more information, please visit www.retailcouncilnys.com.

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