Sales tax-free days nearing for back-to-school shoppers

ATLANTA — With the recent news that Georgia’s popular back-to-school sales tax holiday was included in the state’s final budget, Albany merchants will be ramping up for the tax holiday which is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 1.

“All of our merchants, of course, will be gearing up for the big weekend,” Albany Mall Manager Deborah Rowe. “We are expecting to see large crowds similar to those we see over the holidays. Many of our merchants are having specials in addition to the tax holiday.”

Rowe added the mall will be holding a back-to-school fashion show at 1 p.m. on Aug. 1.

Jason Mulford, whose family operates The Shoe Box on Dawson Road and at the mall, said the also expected an increase in business over that weekend.

“This is our third tax-free weekend and we think will see a crowd like we did on Father’s Day, which was huge for us,” Mulford said. “Quite frankly in some ways our tax-free traffic is already here because we are selling back-to-school apparel geared toward middle and high schoolers and college-age students who don’t have to wear school uniforms.

“We’ve not even decided what specials we will run that weekend, but we’ll start talking about it pretty soon.”

Mulford added that the business began to take off when the store transitioned from 100 percent shoe sales to a 50/50 split of shoes and apparel. He is especially proud of the Shoe Box’s own line of custom t-shirts, the SouthFitters Line.

“We think these will sell well over the holiday. The historical ones featuring Albany are selling well and all of the shirts are designed and printed in Georgia and exclusive to us” he said. “The Georgia Retail Association (GRA) says families expect to increase their spending on school supplies this year, meaning good things are in store for the state’s retailers.

“Thanks to the commitment of both the Georgia Legislature and Gov. (Nathan) Deal on continuing the back-to-school sales tax holiday, the timing couldn’t be better as Georgia families will see extended savings while retailers can expect increased sales,” GRA President/CEO Rick McAllister said. “Families are already starting to prepare for the upcoming school year, and this annual back-to-school shopping season is the second busiest behind only the winter holidays in terms of sales.”

According to the National Retail Federations’ Retail Insight Center Monthly Consumer Survey of more than 6,400 adults, 29 percent of households with school-age kids plan to spend more than last year for back-to-school, compared with nearly 24 percent who said the same thing leading into the 2014 back-to-school shopping.

As for college students and their families, nearly three in 10 plan to spend more this summer, up from 23 percent last year.

The positive uptick in planned spending means that retailers’ back-to-school season could bring a welcome boost in sales after a disappointing first half of the year.

To help retailers and shoppers, the Georgia Department of Revenue has issued guidelines on the sales tax holiday and what items will be eligible for the exemption. Items that qualify include school supplies, school art supplies, school computer supplies, and school instructional materials purchased for noncommercial use with a sales price of $20 or less per item.