Shoppers cautious with gadget buys on Black Friday

This year, everyone expects the economic crisis to dampen the appetite for gadgets. But how much? Compared to buying a car or a house, electronics are cheap, and those who scrimp on big purchases may still treat themselves or their children to an iPod.

At a Circuit City store here Friday morning, Felicia Perry, 38, said she is definitely spending less this season, because her job is offering fewer overtime hours.

But she got an Xbox 360 bundle for her 16-year-old daughter that included the Microsoft gaming console, some games and accessories for $299.

Perry, a manager for Verizon's FiOS TV service who lives in Liverpool, N.Y., said she is staying home more lately, and the Xbox purchase was in part so her daughter can stay home and play on it.

Store manager Steve Fairbrother said home theater and video game items were selling well, in part because people are not going out as much. But overall, Fairbrother said that this Black Friday didn't stack up well against others he's experienced.

"I think this is the worst one we've seen in 11 years," he said, which is the length of time he's worked for the company.

Circuit City filed for bankruptcy protection earlier in the month, which may have steered some prospective buyers to rivals.

At the Best Buy store in the same mall, the crowd was about the same size as usual, said Rob Schoeneck, the mall's manager. He estimated there were roughly 1,000 people waiting for the store to open.

Earlier in the week, ABI Research analyst Michael Wolf said he expected the usual lines of shoppers outside stores proffering special Black Friday deals, as consumers are more price-conscious than they have been in the past and the deals are the best to be had all year. But he thinks the day could end with consumers spending less than usual.