As the tax-free weekend approaches, businesses across the Pioneer Valley are gearing up for a surge in sales. This Saturday and Sunday, Massachusetts residents will celebrate the 19th anniversary of the state’s tax-free holiday, an event that allows shoppers to purchase most retail items priced up to $2,500 without paying the usual 6.25% sales tax. While certain items like meals, motor vehicles, gas, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana products are excluded, the holiday promises significant savings, especially for those making larger purchases.
Retailers anticipate a busy weekend, with many already preparing for the influx of customers. Mark Wineburg, owner of YES Computers on Northampton’s Pleasant Street, expects it to be the store’s busiest weekend of the year. “August is always busier for us than the Christmas season,” Wineburg said, attributing the spike in sales to a combination of back-to-school shopping and customers holding off on large purchases until the tax-free weekend. To accommodate those with busy schedules, YES Computers allows customers to place orders in advance and pick them up later, as long as the transaction is completed during the tax-free weekend.
For businesses like Manny’s Appliances in Hadley, which also has a location in Greenfield, the tax-free weekend feels like a “big party,” according to store manager Monte Newman. The event often doubles their typical weekly sales, with customers eager to snap up refrigerators, air conditioners, and other household electronics. Even with some leftover promotional items from Independence Day, Newman expects most of the store’s products to sell well within the $2,500 price limit.
Meanwhile, at S&S Appliance in Athol, owner Mark Armentrout is preparing his staff for a busy few days. “We’ve been through it before. People maybe buy a couple of extra of the popular smaller things,” he noted. The expected rush might slow down deliveries, but Armentrout remains optimistic that the store will catch up quickly.
The tax-free weekend is also a boon for businesses that typically experience slower sales during the late summer months. At Gardener’s Supply Co. in Hadley, the weekend provides a much-needed boost between the spring and fall planting seasons. Store manager Eric Tideman-Mau expects an increase in sales, particularly for higher-cost items like trees, as customers look to maximize their tax savings.
Sugarloaf Gardens in Sunderland is also capitalizing on the weekend by offering a variety of promotions. Alongside a 50% discount on rhododendrons and hostas, customers can buy five perennial flower arrays and receive a sixth for free. Employee Amity Messeck anticipates that larger, more expensive plants will be popular this weekend.
Further up the Pioneer Valley, Greenfield businesses like Bicycle World and Moldavite Dreams are offering additional discounts to lure in shoppers. Bicycle World owner Bill Johnston hopes the combined savings will encourage customers to purchase bikes, many of which fall under the $2,500 cap, while Moldavite Dreams owner Ellie Richardson sees the added 10% discount as an incentive for customers to indulge in higher-end items like jewelry and crystals.
The tax-free weekend, while criticized by some politicians for merely shifting spending habits rather than stimulating new economic activity, remains a much-anticipated event for consumers and businesses alike. Last year, the Department of Revenue reported that the holiday increased indirect state tax revenues by $3.54 million through heightened economic activity, although the state did forgo $36.94 million in sales tax revenue.
As shoppers prepare to take advantage of the weekend, businesses across the Pioneer Valley are ready to meet the demand, hoping for a significant boost in sales that will carry them through the quieter weeks of late summer.