Appliances are hot items due to storm damage

Business on Black Friday at P.C. Richard & Son in Oceanside has been on par with past years with one exception: appliances are hot, a manager said.

"We always do a little bit of traffic in appliances," store manager Ed Ross said. "This particular year, because of the storm, appliances are just taking off."

Shortly before noon, the store was bustling. The store's stock of flatscreen TVs, iPads and laptops wasn't lonely, but the aftermath of Sandy shifted priorities for many customers. A steady stream of customers lingered over washers and dryers, opened refrigerator doors and compared prices on stoves.

Unlike some of its big-box competitors that opened doors before Thanksgiving dinner plates had been washed Thursday night, the store waited until 3:30 a.m. Friday  to welcome the first 20 shoppers who had lined up. Ross, 31, said keeping the doors shut for one day was good for morale.

"The company would rather have everybody spend time with their families," Ross said.