Shoppers take advantage of sales tax holiday

(Essdras M. Suarez/Globe Staff)

Tesfaalem Beimnet left, helps Elyas Ahmed load an HDTV they had just purchased at Best Buy at the CambridgeSide Galleria.

Emma Brown, Globe Correspondent

Shoppers crowded Boston-area malls and stores today, taking advantage of the state's fifth annual sales tax holiday to save 5 percent on everything from school supplies to expensive electronics.

"Compared to last year's tax day, it is much better," said Jeff Newman, the manager of Calumet Photographic, a camera shop in Cambridge.

He staffed the store with 50 percent more sales agents than usual and at 1 p.m this afternoon, every one of them was busy helping customers.

Coleen Caster of Nahant, a nursing director at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professional wedding photographer, said she'd waited three months for the tax-free weekend to buy a $680 telephoto lens.

"Everything's so much more expensive," she said, referring to the high price of gas and food. "If you can save on tax, it's worth it."

Shoppers formed a long line outside the CambridgeSide Galleria's Apple store, which opened at midnight today and planned to stay open for 24 hours.

"My son is entering Suffolk University in two weeks and he needs a laptop," said Donna Cesario of Winthrop, who figured she saved about $100 in tax by waiting until this weekend to buy.

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