Stores across New York City are luring shoppers on Black Friday -- the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season -- with extended hours and deep discounts.

People shop during "Black Friday" sales at a store in New York Nov. 28, 2008. Stores across New York City are luring shoppers on Black Friday -- the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season -- with extended hours and deep discounts. [Xinhua]

Faced with the country's bleak economic outlook, many stores are "pulling out all the stops," with some offering coffee and donuts or maps to hot items, according to a report available on www.ny1.com.

"I came to get my daughter the talking Dora (doll), which originally is priced for 130 dollars, but today it was priced for 60 dollars," said a shopper who was shopping at the Toys-R-Us store in Times Square. "I also bought her Dora vanity set for about 50 dollars and the original price on it was about 80 dollars,90 dollars."

Early risers at Bestbuy store in Long Island City said the deals are worth the lack of sleep.

"I saved at least 600 dollars for this," said shopper Junior Sanders who bought a Samsung Flat-Panel LCD HDTV at 1500 dollars. "There's a lot of good deals. A lot of stuff, buy-two, get-one-free, 50 percent off some stuff, 30 percent off, everything," he added.

"You can waste a whole bunch of money for one laptop, and you can get one at half its price," said Sussie Wiess, who had been standing in the line for 29 hours. "So, you can get a whole bunch of stuff for the quantity of one, for the price of one."

Analysts say last year, the Thanksgiving weekend accounted for about 10 percent of all holiday sales, but stores hope to earn similar profits this year.

"Consumers are definitely cutting back spending this holiday season," said Amanda Gengler of Money Magazine. "A recent survey from consumer reports survey shows 59 percent of consumers say they will buy fewer gifts this year. Also more people will be likely to stick to a budget this year."

Gengler said that the average American shopper plans to spend 545 dollars on spending, or 91 dollars less than last year.

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2008)