Black Friday shoppers on Long Island scour for sales amid economic uncertainty

If Black Friday foot traffic at women's clothing boutique Penny Lane was any indication, this weekend will bring in a big boost of sales of holiday gifts after a slight lull this month, the owner of the Huntington shop said.

"Everything has been great. ... busy, very, very, very busy,” said owner Gabrielle Sunshine, who added that coats with eclectic details and sweaters had been selling well at the store, which is discounting merchandise by 20% to 50% through Cyber Monday.

The five-day period that includes Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend is considered the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season and an indicator of how well retailers will do in the overall holiday period, which is a gauge of the health of the country's economy. 

This year, shoppers are expected to spend cautiously amid concerns about the rising costs of goods, which have been affected by President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs on imports that went into effect earlier this year, as well as rising unemployment rates, retail analysts said.

Friday on Long Island, deal-seekers drove strong foot traffic at some retail venues, including Roosevelt Field, which is the largest mall on the Island and the second largest in the state, and Tanger Outlets Riverhead. 

Across the nation, however, a concerning retail environment is shaping buying decisions, experts said. 

“Consumers are still spending but we’re seeing increasingly the use of credit to finance purchases,” said Lauren Slade, associate director of U.S. Retail for S&P Global Ratings, a Manhattan-based provider of credit ratings.

The number of Black Friday weekend deals available this year will be similar to those offered in 2024, but the discounts won’t be as deep because retailers are eating some of the costs of tariffs on their inventory, said Stephanie Carls, retail insights expert at RetailMeNot, an online provider of coupons and money-saving tips.

Shoppers who see discounts on items they want should buy them immediately instead of waiting for better deals in a few weeks, because later price cuts might not happen, she said, adding that tariffs might affect the availability and variety of merchandise.

To save money, consumers should use AI websites to help with shopping and product suggestions, set up app alerts for price tracking, and stack savings by using promo codes and cash back offers, such as those offered by credit card providers and retailers’ customer loyalty programs, Carls said.

Discounters 'to continue to win'

Retail winners this holiday season will be Amazon and discounters such as Costco, Walmart, Ross and TJMaxx, said Joe Feldman, a senior managing director focusing on retail at the Telsey Advisory Group, a Manhattan-based brokerage firm.

“They’ve been winning all year. And I think they’re going to continue to win. They offer the value that customers are seeking. ... And consumers are looking to stretch their dollars right now,” he said.

While it's too soon to know how much money shoppers spent in stores this week, because the data isn't available yet, online spending numbers show new highs have been reached. 

By 6:30 p.m. on Black Friday, shoppers had spent $8.6 billion online, which was 9.4% more than was spent on the day last year, and spending was on track to hit a record high of between $11.7 billion and $11.9 billion, according to Adobe Analytics, a San Jose, California-based software company.

Online spending on Thanksgiving also hit a record high, $6.4 billion, up 5.3% from the spending on the holiday last year, Adobe reported.

Retailers' discounts, which were deeper than Adobe initially forecast, helped drive purchases, said the company. But Adobe said it could not say how much of that spending increase was due to higher product prices. 

On Black Friday weekend every year, discounts, Santa visits and holiday music are rolled out to set a retail mood aimed at drawing gift buyers.

Black Friday has lost some of its luster over the last decade as a growing share of shopping takes place online and is spread out over more weeks, but the weekend is still an important day for retailers.

“Black Friday remains a critical check-in on the consumer and can quickly shift the tone of the season. If sales are strong, retailers can head into December with confidence and hold the line on pricing. If results disappoint, expect a fast shift to deeper discounts as stores try to ignite demand and move inventory before time runs out,” Michael Zdinak, economics director of consumer markets at S&P Global Market Intelligence, a Manhattan-based financial analysis provider, said in an email.

A chunk of retail sales

At about 9 a.m. Friday, Roosevelt Field was bustling with shoppers as upbeat holiday music played from speakers at the Uniondale mall.

Apple and clothing stores popular with teen girls and young women, such as Lululemon and Subdued, were extremely busy.

Kaleisha Smith, of Roosevelt, and her daughter, Karter, 12, and mother arrived at the mall around 7:30 a.m. The sales were worth the early-morning trip, Smith said.

"It was really, really good. ... Door busters were really good at Macy's," said Smith, 37, who wore the gold hoop earrings she had just bought at the store for 70% off.

Going to stores on Black Friday is a continuation of long-held traditions, some Roosevelt Field shoppers said.

“My family always loves to go Black Friday shopping. ... It’s a really big tradition in our family. We do SoulCycle before Thanksgiving and Black Friday [shopping] after Thanksgiving,” said Los Angeles resident Elisa Carrillo, 22, a Brooklyn native who was visiting family in Glen Head for the holiday.

They hit women's clothing stores, finding good sales at Zara and some decent sales at Edikted, she said while in the newly opened Subdued, which is the Italy-based women’s clothing retailer’s first North American store.

Tanger Outlets Riverhead was packed with shoppers, and long lines of cars were in search of parking spaces at the shopping center by early afternoon.

On the chilly day, lines of people stood outside some stores, including Uggs, Abercrombie & Fitch, Coach & H&M, waiting to be let in as customers exited, due to limits on the number of people inside.

Narita Isardeen, 37, of Queens, and her family were shopping for gifts, but said they were cutting back on spending this year.

"Some things [are] just really expensive. Certain shirts, men's shoes," she said. "If it's really not needed, we stay away from it."

Dayna Bush, of Medford, and her family also were at Tanger, where they had bought items on sale at Goat USA and Levi's.

The sales were decent, which is a requirement to even get her in a store, said Bush, 34.

Top shopping day

Not only is Black Friday still projected to be the top shopping day of the year, but November and December also account for about 20%, on average, of retail sales that take place annually, retail experts said.

A record 186.9 million people plan to shop between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, up from the 183.4 million who said they would shop during the five-day period last year, according to the National Retail Federation’s survey of 8,000 adults from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6.

But overall retail sales growth this holiday season is projected to be slower this year than in the two-month period in 2024.

Retail spending in November and December this year is forecast to rise between 3.7% and 4.2%, to between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion, compared with the $976.1 billion spent during the two-month period in 2024, according to the retail federation, whose data excludes gasoline, auto and restaurant sales. The Washington, D.C.-based trade group’s spending projections are not adjusted for inflation.

Last year, retail sales in November and December grew 4.3%, compared with the two-month period in 2023.

More retail sales growth this holiday season will come from price increases due to tariffs as opposed to consumers actually buying more merchandise, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Real holiday sales, meaning the spending is adjusted for inflation, are expected to rise 3.1% this holiday season compared to the period last year, according to S&P.