Let the shopping begin.
Friday marks the start of a three-day shopping feast where residents pay no sales tax on certain clothing or footwear that costs less than $100 individually.
This is the eighth year for Oklahoma’s sales tax holiday weekend, which last year saved money-conscious shoppers more than $7.2 million in sales taxes, according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
It’s also is a boon to retailers that reap from the annual rush.
“The tax-free weekend is a big event for us and probably for most retailers in Tulsa. We’re fully stocked and ready to go,” said Jim McClure, president of Drysdales Western Wear.
Like many retailers, Drysdales saw sales increase anywhere from 25 percent to 30 percent during last year’s tax-free weekend.
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Events like this reshuffle the deck to a certain degree, McClure noted. Instead of waiting until the third and fourth weekends in August to shop for fall clothes, people take advantage of the tax-free weekend, accelerating sales into that weekend.
“People love the concept of a tax-free weekend,” McClure added.
The Children’s Closet, a selective consignment store at 3215 S. Harvard Ave., is stocked with school uniforms, and staff members have been “putting stuff out daily to get ready,” owner Andrea Stecker said.
“I think it’s really important, especially in our business, because people that shop retail, some of them are penny pinching. We get a lot of people who buy uniforms to donate to charities, to help out new kids who don’t have clothes for schools. So, that is a bonus for them as well,” Stecker said. “We have a lot of older retired people who will come in and buy certain sizes that charities are lacking. So that is an added perk.”
The consignment store, which specializes in name-brand children’s wear and boutique-quality clothing and shoes, accepts clothing from newborn to size 20 for boys and newborn to size 16 for girls. It also carries some junior sizes in certain brands such as American Eagle.
“We do have added staff, and we have a sale going on right now on our remaining summer clothes — a lot of those are good transitional clothes to start school with,” Stecker said.
Now is a good time to buy for fall and Christmas, said Rachel Calvert, store manager of The Lolly Garden in Utica Square, which carries clothing, gifts and accessories for girls and boys from newborn to size 14.
This weekend, shoppers are encouraged to bring school supplies to The Lolly Garden, which will donate them to Community Action Project. For every $100 shoppers spend, they will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate, Calvert said.
JCPenney at Tulsa Promenade mall has increased staff for the weekend to help on registers, replenish stock, check fitting rooms and pick up hangers.
“It’s an everybody-works weekend,” said David Spinks, store manager.
The store will bring in food such as subs, pizzas and hot dogs throughout the weekend to make it fun for the sales associates, who will be allowed to wear jeans, Spinks said.
Last year, the JCPenney store had about four times the normal weekend volume. This year, with door busters — scheduled from 3 p.m. Friday until 1 p.m. Saturday — and JCPenney’s rebuilding of its brand, Spinks said he definitely expects sales to be higher during this year’s tax-free weekend.
“We really feel like this is going to be big for us,” Spinks said.
The store learned from last year and has many more school uniforms available, including plus and husky sizes, Spinks said.
“It’s not just a kid’s weekend. We want Mom and Dad to shop as well. ... We have plenty of door busters for Mom,” Spinks said.
During the weekend, JCPenney is offering a $25 mini makeover valued at $60, which includes deep conditioning, hair blowout and eyebrow wax, Spinks added.
Wal-Mart anticipates that as families are buying tax-free clothes this weekend, they also will be looking for school supplies. Wal-Mart is offering 10 percent more back-to-school items this year compared to last, said Erica Jones, senior manager of communications for the company.
Wal-Mart shoppers will find more than 2,000 items for under $3, more than 800 under $2 and more than 300 under $1, including crayon packs, two-count Elmer’s Glue sticks, 1-inch binders and packs of wide-rule notebook paper, Jones said.
Tax-free purchases of clothing and footwear also can be made online during the weekend at walmart.com, she added.
