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More New Yorkers Will Be Bargain Shopping on Black Friday

By Heather Grossmann | November 24, 2009 2:32pm | Updated on November 25, 2009 2:44pm
Pedestrians pass the Toys
Pedestrians pass the Toys "R" Us in Times Square. It will undoubtedly be mobbed with shoppers looking looking to nab some bargains on Friday morning.
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AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

By Heather Grossmann

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — Luckily for New Yorkers, Santa Claus will be putting toys — not coal — in stockings this year, even though three times as many people are worse off financially this holiday season than last.

Despite these financial woes, 16 percent more consumers will hit the stores this Black Friday than last, according to a poll commissioned by the National Retail Federation.

The Federation said it's the deep discounts offered this weekend that will drive the shoppers out in droves.

“Retailers still have a few tricks up their sleeves to excite Black Friday shoppers,” Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO, said in a statement. “With retailers fully aware that shoppers are looking for incredible deals, Americans can expect huge sales on popular items like toys, electronics and apparel.”

But while more New Yorkers will be shopping, they won’t be shelling out any extra cash, according to a Siena Research poll released Tuesday morning.

Siena reported that the majority of New Yorkers plan to spend about the same amount this year as they did last year.

Siena Research’s director, Dr. Don Levy, said that despite the financial hardships New York consumers are facing, “holding holiday spending constant is part of their enjoyment of the season. Spending more is out this season, but spending as we did last year is, according to consumers, the plan this holiday season.”

BIGresearch, who conducted the poll for the National Retail Federation, is conscientious of consumer’s anxiety about overspending, but is optimistic about turnout.

“While consumers are still expected to remain cautious with their holiday spending, the anticipation of Black Friday deals seems to be coaxing shoppers out of hibernation,” said Pamela Goodfellow, a senior analyst at the research organization, in a statement.