Local retailers say they saw strong sales over the Thanksgiving weekend as consumers shopped against the backdrop of a sagging economy.

Bill Jensen, the owner of a toy store in Darien, says parents are buying fewer, but higher-quality toys for their children. Jensen sells unique, imported toys, which he says gives him a leg up on big-box stores that don't carry the same merchandise.

Preliminary reports from major national retailers say the crowds over the weekend were at least as large as last year's. But analysts say sales on Black Friday may not match levels from a year ago as worried Americans slash their holiday budgets.