Back | Guangdong Men Clothing Co.,Ltd

For Geraelle Brewer and his five daughters, the end of summer marks the beginning of back-to-school shopping as students around the state prepare to return to school.

Each year, Brewer expects to buy school supplies, new backpacks and new shoes among other clothing for his children.

"We're almost done now; we started shopping in July so we don't have to do it all at once but the girls are at an age where they are growing really fast," he said.

With all of his kids in school, Brewer said the shopping season seems to get more expensive each year.

One of his daughters, Brilee, 10, finished the bulk of her back-to-school shopping after the family purchased school supplies and two new pairs of shoes during the sales-tax holiday.

This weekend, Arkansas' sales-tax holiday began at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday and will end at 11:59 p.m. today.

For parents shopping for their kids, Park Plaza in Little Rock houses 65 stores. Teresa Poe, the general manager of the mall, said the sales-tax holiday was "almost as big as Black Friday for them."

"We expect heavy foot traffic all day. After covid there was obviously less but now that people are out again and getting back to their routine, this weekend is huge for us," she said.

In addition to the sales-tax holiday garnering traffic, retailers also hold end-of-summer sales to make room for fall merchandise, which parents take advantage of every year, Poe said.

Arkansas is one of the 18 states that participate in a sales-tax holiday each year.

In the holiday's inception in 2011, tax-free items were limited to clothing costing less than $100, accessories costing less than $50, and school supplies, but now the state Legislature has expanded this to include electronic devices.

"The list of qualifying items is much more than school supplies. Hopefully, Arkansans are aware of the many ways they can save money this weekend," said Scott Hardin, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration spokesperson.

Since businesses participating are not required to submit their sales tax for the holiday, Hardin estimated that since the holiday's establishment "several million dollars remain in the pockets of Arkansans versus being paid to the state."

Print Headline: Shoppers enjoy sales-tax holiday

This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us.

Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. All rights reserved.