Business & Tech
Shoppers Turn Out in Braintree Over Sales Tax Holiday [VIDEO]
Aug. 13 and 14 was a sales tax holiday in Massachusetts.
The line was so long at the Apple store at the on Saturday afternoon that employees were handing out bottled water to keep their customers comfortable.
A trio of siblings from Boston was waiting in that line, anxious to stock up on some sleek Apple hardware.
Evelyn Gonzalez was picking up a 27-inch Mac Book, which she said cost about $1700. Her sister, Iris, and her brother were in the market for iPads.
“We’re going all out this weekend!” Evelyn Gonzalez said.
She wasn’t the only one, as the line at Apple only seemed to get longer as the day wore on.
“People see the word ‘holiday,’ they feel like spending,” Evelyn Gonzalez said of the weekend, which is sometimes referred to as a “tax-free holiday.”
Vicki Bartkiewicz, the director of mall marketing, was happy to see the mall buzzing with activity, especially since it coincided with the mall’s annual Back At It! weekend, which offers special back-to-school deals, kids’ activities, and even a fashion show.
“We’re very pleased to see customers lining up at retailers,” she said.
She said the tax-free weekend is a huge plus for consumers, who would need to spend money on back-to-school items whether or not there were special deals.
The extra 6.25 percent savings provided just enough incentive for Don Changeau to upgrade his 2004 laptop.
“The tax-free weekend pushed me over the edge to make that decision,” he said.
A former professor and current Boston University graduate student, Changeau was eligible for an educational discount as well, sweetening the deal even more.
As for the state losing money from the lost taxes over the weekend, Changeau wasn’t too concerned.
Citing the fact that Massachusetts raised the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent in 2009, Changeau said the lost money was “chump change” compared to how much extra the state has made because of the increase.
Iris Gonzalez said she believes the weekend is a win-win situation for consumers and retailers. Retailers receive an influx of customers, and consumers save some cash, she said.
Vivian McLemore, a Boston resident, was satisfied with her savings Saturday, as she was able to finish her back-to-school shopping at the mall.
“I’ve waited all year for this,” she said. “I was waiting for them to pass it, which they did. I’m here doing all my school shopping, and I’m basically done. It really saved me a lot of money.”
While some had been planned their shopping strategy with the weekend in mind, others had no idea what was going on when they saw the throngs of people in line at different stores.
“Is there a concert?” Walden Chen, of Quincy, asked when he saw the Apple store’s unusually long line.
