Retailers Expect Slight Jump in Sales Through Tax Free Weekend

Shoe and clothing retailers expect a jump in sales today thanks to the sales tax holiday that started at 12 a.m. and runs until 11:59 p.m. Saturday.

All pairs of shoes and clothing less than $100 are tax free through Saturday.

Scott Gire, North Grand Mall store manager, expects to see a small spike in sales during Iowa's 12^th annual tax free weekend, but not quite the swell that the holiday used to bring.

“It still brings in business, don't get me wrong,” Gire said adding later, “It's not what it used to be 10 years ago.”

The newness of the holiday once brought people in droves, Gire said, a decade later the business will still be better than a normal day.

Kinsey Lehrkamp, manager of Lyla's Boutique, assumes the Main Street shop will see some additional business from the holiday. The boutique offers shoes, shorts, pants and blouses for sale. But it also sells wine and other random items. Most of the clothing lines are geared toward women in their 20s. Lyla's Boutique has two other stores, one in Iowa City and another in Clear Lake. Sales drop off in the college towns during summer months but pick up in Clear Lake, she said. Lehrkamp is still waiting on the Boutique's fall lines and the fall season when more students will walk through the door.

The sales holiday is the furthest thing from at least one retailer's mind. manager's Brian Wonderly's said his business sells some clothing but the Campustown screenprinter's business is more likely to pick up when students return for their first day of class, Aug. 22, he said.

The list of tax free items is available online. Clothing and shoes less than $100 are eligible, but belts and backpacks are not.