Stores prepare for crush of customers during Texas’ sales tax-free shopping weekend

Nel Mansilla and Tito Rosado are working hard to prepare for Texas’ tax-free shopping weekend.

The event gives consumers across Texas the opportunity to make certain purchases without paying any state sales tax from Friday, Aug. 6 to Sunday, Aug. 8.

The managers of Tilly’s at Hulen Mall in Fort Worth said they’ve worked to make sure employees are ready for a crush of customers coming to the mall this weekend, many of them for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Mansilla has made sure every backpack they have in stock is on the floor, ready for customers to check out and buy. Rosado said he’s been working with employees to get them well versed in deals the store has on denim and kids’ clothes so they can help customers looking for new back-to-school duds.

After the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns and hesitancy of many people to get out in public even after the lockdowns ended, Rosado said Tilly’s is working hard to get ready and excited to see people in the store.

“We’ve been doing a lot of prep for this weekend,” Rosado said. “It’s going to be a lot of people, it’s going to be a lot of work, but we’re just excited to see actual humans other than employees in the store again.”

What can shoppers buy tax-free?

Texas’ tax-free weekend gives customers a chance to make purchases without handing over an extra chunk of change to the state in sales tax. This year, Texas is offering the sales tax break on online and phone orders, too, according to the Texas Comptroller’s website.

The items purchased online or over the phone must be both delivered and paid for by the customer during the exemption weekend or ordered and paid for, with the seller accepting the order during the weekend for immediate shipment.

Qualifying items include clothing, footwear, school supplies, face masks and backpacks. Some special tax exemptions can be given on layaways, as long as the final payment is made during the tax-free weekend or the item is placed on layaway during that time.

Items sold for more than $100 are not exempted from state sales tax, nor are clothing subscription boxes, clothing rentals, alterations, cleaning services, items for repairs and accessories like jewelry, handbags, purses, briefcases, luggage, wallets and watches.

Computers, software, textbooks, and certain baggage items and some school supplies are not exempted.

Drawing in customers

Lupe Martinez, a manager at American Eagle Outfitters at Hulen Mall, said the best deals for tax-free weekend will be on things like high-quality jeans. American Eagle and Tilly’s both have deals on jeans planned for the weekend.

“Our jeans are pricier because they’re really a good quality, so if you want to buy multiple pairs of jeans from American Eagle you could really save a lot of money by buying them this weekend and not paying taxes,” Martinez said.

To beat the tax-free rush and avoid waiting in lines, Martinez said American Eagle customers can make a pre-business hours appointment through the American Eagle Outfitters Hulen Mall Instagram account.

For those looking to support local businesses during the sales tax holiday, Gracie Lane in Arlington is working to make the tax-free shopping experience as easy as possible.

The collection of locally owned businesses in Arlington creates a sort of boutique mall at 4710 S. Cooper St., selling tax-exempted items like clothing and non-exempted products like handmade jewelry and home decor.

Teresa Burda, owner of Gracie Lane, said Wednesday she was in the process of printing out lists of products that will be tax-exempt over the weekend and highlighting things in the store. She said the list might make it easier for people to determine if something is included in the exemptions.

While Gracie Lane usually doesn’t have a massive rush of customers for the sales tax holiday, Burda said the reestablishment of stricter CDC recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and a desire of community members to support local businesses after seeing so many close amid the pandemic may lead to a larger crowd than normal.

Gracie Lane is 20,000 square feet, but Burda said the layout and boutiques make it feel like a smaller and more personal shopping experience.

She said the ability to go and have a cup of tea and something to eat at the Rose Garden Tea Room inside Gracie Lane may also be a draw for customers.