Black Friday comes early

SAUGUS – Black Friday may be more than three months away, but Square One Mall Manager Susan Yee is expecting huge crowds this weekend looking to save some money during the Massachusetts sales tax holiday.?People are just going to rush in to get those big-ticket items,” said Yee. “The things that you need to buy anyway, if you can save an extra 6.25 percent, why wouldn?t you?”The sales tax holiday, which will take place today and Sunday, was signed by Governor Deval Patrick on August 1. This is the second holiday in a row and the seventh one in the last eight years and will include all non-business related purchases less than $2,500. Items excluded from the holiday include cars, boats, meals, gas and tobacco products.Yee said TVs, computers, cameras and cell phones are usually the most popular items during tax holidays, as people usually anticipate the event every summer.?It brings people out,” said Yee. “People wait for this. Come August, people start thinking, ?Is it going to happen? Is it not going to happen?? It?s on TV, it?s in the media and it will bring people back to the mall and I expect Square One to be busy all weekend.”Nick Clark was shopping with his family on Friday and said he?s planning to come back during the weekend to buy a Keurig coffee-maker.?We?re here now but we?re debating whether or not to come back for the purchases,” said Clark, who lives in Chelsea. “We?d save like 15 bucks. It helps.”Kelly Gifford works at Express in the mall, and isn?t expecting too big a response at her store since clothing is already tax free.?Most of the clothes don?t have tax so the only thing that would really have tax is accessories,” said Gifford. “But there?s a Best Buy in the mall so (mall attendance) will spike some.”Cal Haddad owns Odds and Ends across from the food court, and said he?s expecting to unload most of his toys this weekend after customers have already been stopping by to scope out his merchandise.?Tomorrow I think we?re going to be selling a lot of toys,” said Haddad. “Parents will be in with their kids trying to get a lot of things. I?ve been having a lot people today asking me stuff for tomorrow.”Yee said there will be extra security on hand to handle the extra crowds, as they?ll be treating the event like a holiday weekend.?We look at different days based on anticipation,” said Yee. “A beautiful sunny day in July is different from a holiday season. We just take into account what we expect and we make sure that we?re prepared to handle everything and we?re prepared to react if something were to happen a little differently.”But while some people are set to spend much of they time (and money) at the mall this weekend, Stoneham resident Barry Martinetti said he?s not planning on buying anything. And with many states facing big budget deficits, Martinetti said he doesn?t think a sales tax holiday is a good idea.?I don?t need anything,” said Martinetti, who was just finishing lunch in the food court on Friday. “I don?t just buy for the sake of saving money on sales tax. Probably right now we could use a sales tax with the state of the economy. Right now I think the states should be trying to generate as much money as they can.”Square One Mall will be opened from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Department stores opening early include Sears, which will open at 6 a.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday, Dick?s Sporting Goods (9 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. Sunday), TJ Maxx (7 a.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. Sunday) and Best Buy (8 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday).