Shoppers, who had snapped their wallets shut since September, turned out in force Friday to grab early morning deals and hard-to-find items like Elmo Live and the “Wii Fit” exercise game, but many said worries about the economy have them focusing on fewer gifts and less expensive, more practical items.
Meanwhile, the start of the shopping season proved deadly at both a Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, N.Y., and a Toys “R’’ Us store in Palm Desert, Calif.