Known for long lines, big sales and even bigger crowds, Black Friday is easily one of the most beloved and abhorred days of the year.

For retailers, it’s one of the busiest days in terms of customer traffic and sales volume. Becky Valenti, marketing manager of the Wilton Mall, expects shopping to be as good as usual if not better, despite people’s concerns about the economy.

“It’s great, a shopper’s dream,” Valenti said of Black Friday. “We’re very excited about this holiday season.”

There are approximately 85 stores in the Wilton Mall, as well as many specialty carts. On Black Friday about a dozen places will welcome customers at 6 a.m. or earlier and the rest will open by 7 a.m.

Valenti said people can expect lots of specials, particularly for early birds. She believes a large amount of the day’s traffic will happen before noon. Valenti anticipates a steady stream of shoppers through Christmas, and said the traffic always increases significantly the last week before the holiday.

“Everybody leaves their shopping to the last minute,” she said. “I do. Don’t you?”

Carlos Weir recently moved to the area from San Francisco. Weir, 53, plans to just kick back and relax on Black Friday.

“I haven’t started shopping yet. Generally, I go two weeks before Christmas, when I start feeling the spirit of it,” he said.

Brandy Hensley, 18, of Saratoga Springs, said she won’t be part of the bustling atmosphere either.

“I probably won’t have any money,” she said. “Plus, I don’t want to be in the stores then. People are nuts.”

Hensley admitted she hasn’t tackled much of her Christmas list yet, and that she tends to wait until the last minute to get her shopping done. Where she goes to buy a gift depends on who and what she is shopping for.

“If it’s for a friend, I shop locally. I usually go to the mall if it’s for an adult,” Hensley said.

Dan Garland doesn’t like shopping and tries to avoid big name retailers if at all possible. The 28 year-old Stillwater resident prefers to shop locally because he finds that smaller stores tend to be less congested and offer a less stressful shopping experience.

Garland has already finished roughly a quarter of his holiday shopping. This year, he believes he’ll do as much as half his shopping online because of the tremendous selection, great prices and the fact that many sites offer free shipping.

“I don’t want to deal with crowds pushing and shoving,” Garland said. “There’s a lack of original ideas at the mall. It’s just generic gifts for everyone.”

Helen Smith, 26, of Malta, has only purchased a few smaller gifts so far. She does the majority of her shopping at large retailers and online.

“I’m actually behind this year,” Smith said. “I usually do most of my shopping in the summer. I’ll probably get most of it done the week after Thanksgiving.”

Smith likes the variety of choices she has under one roof at the mall. She said holiday traffic stinks, so she prefers to do as little driving

as possible.