Quotebox: Shoppers, stores sound cautious on Black Friday

(Reuters) - Consumers turned out in droves to shop on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, looking for bargains. Many struck a cautious note about their finances, with company executives saying things are still difficult for customers.

SHOPPERS:

Paula Taero, 58, housekeeper from Queens, New York, shopping at a KMart, on why she will shop mostly for herself this year:

"Santa will buy for others. I don't have so much money this year."

James McBreaty, 32, paralegal, from Melville, New York, at a Toys R Us:

"We've learned our lesson about spending without thinking so it had to become an 'every-dollar-counts' kind of thing this year."

Desiree Schoolfield, 49, public servant, from Queens, on benefits of earlier store hours:

"When I did Black Friday at Target (in a prior year), I stood in line from 12:30 to 6 o'clock in the morning. I don't have to do that this year."

Noela Ashu, 16, a student at a mall in Hyattsville, Maryland:

"It seems like everybody has the same styles so I am looking for better prices."

Shawn Elzia, 33, Brooklyn, New York, teacher at Macy's in Jersey City, New Jersey:

"I did not expect such deals. It's slashed down to the bones."

EXECUTIVES:

Terry Lundgren, CEO, Macy's Inc:

"The customer is clearly looking for value, that is something that is going to be with this consumer for a long, long time."

Mike Thielmann, group executive vice president at J.C. Penney Co Inc:

"Americans are still worried about jobs, still worried about the economy, they're still worried about debt of the country ... I don't think you can take for granted that they've got more money in their pocket or they're interested in buying this year or you can take your prices up. I don't think our economy or the consumer confidence is there yet."

Jamie Brooks, SVP retail services for Sears Holdings, on post-Black Friday momentum:

"We have put together an entire promotional program for the whole season. So we don't shoot all our bullets on the day after Thanksgiving."

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan and Phil Wahba in New York, Liana B. Baker in Farmingdale, New York, Mihir Dalal in Jersey City, New Jersey; Jessica Wohl in Chicago, and Diane Bartz in Hyattsville, Maryland; editing by Matthew Lewis)