LI shoppers on hunt for post-holiday bargains

Overcast skies and icy side streets did not deter Long Island shoppers from hitting the stores Saturday to make gift returns and exchanges, as well as hunt down post-holiday bargains, all activities delayed by bad weather and holidays that fell on Saturdays.

"It's nice to be out before the next snow comes," said Patty McCarren, of Brightwaters, as she and a friend eyed silver bracelets at Willy Nilly Trading in Bay Shore. McCarren, shopping for a birthday gift, was about to head off to Roosevelt Field to make gift returns that had been put off because of the post-Christmas blizzard.

For both consumers and retailers, the first full post-holiday shopping weekend appeared to be promising. Curt L. Fickeisen, general manager of Tanger Outlets at The Arches, Deer Park, said he expected a weekend driven by gift-card redemptions, exchanges and bargain hunting.

While the blizzard did curb two days of shopping, he said he sees that as "business delayed and not lost." There are plenty of deals to be had, he said, though unlike previous years, retailers are not left with an overabundance of inventory.

With snow threatening earlier in the week, Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with Port Washington-based market research firm NPD Group, said he expected sales would be good Saturday, provided accumulation was three inches or less. "Shoppers will not be denied," he said.

Overall, Long Island holiday sales "tended to be a little healthier than average," he said. Still, consumers can expect area retailers to "continue promotions longer and deeper" throughout January as merchants look to catch up on those days lost to the December blizzard.

Sales at Willy Nilly were up by about 6 percent near the close of business Saturday, compared with the second Saturday after Christmas 2009, said owner Marilyn Schulman, who says she cuts prices aggressively.

Shopper Stacey Kowalski, 44, of Commack, who was perusing one table of marked-down holiday ornaments and related items, said, "there's not a lot left."

Shoppers at Tanger in Deer Park, an open-air mall, dashed from store to store and lingered by the outdoor skating rink. Mahalia Laws of Rosedale said it was nice to be out in the fresh air and shopping without the frenzy and long lines before Christmas. She bought two pairs of sneakers, and her friend, Troy Montgomery, 44, of Bay Shore, a new sweatsuit. "And we're still shopping," she said.

Natasha Wong, 31, of Huntington, had headed out to Tanger to return shoes and a pair of pants, but came across great deals on children's shirts for her son, as well as onesies for an upcoming baby shower.

Jennifer Halliday, 42, of Amityville Harbor and her friend Christine Shanahan said they were just glad to finally have the chance to meet, get caught up and scan those bargain racks, as earlier plans had been waylaid by the blizzard.

Shanahan, 37, of Northport, had just scored two cashmere sweaters - half price. Next on the shopping agenda? "Anything and everything," she said.