Best Tax-Free Holiday Weekend Shopping Strategies

By PATRICK LUCE (Patch Staff)

The state’s popular sales tax holiday is slated to return the weekend of Aug. 15-16 during the peak back-to-school shopping period.

Shoppers will not have to pay the 6.25 percent state sales tax on purchases that cost less than $2,500 during the tax-free holiday weekend. The bill creating a sales tax holiday for Massachusetts on Aug. 15 and 16 was approved by the Legislature on July 30, and awaits Gov. Charlie Baker signature. He has indicated he will sign the bill.

Retailers are already planning special promotions and shoppers are making lists.

Consumers still prefer physical stores for Back to School shopping, according to theInternational Council of Shopping Centers, with 83 percent of their purchases involving physical stores. Of those who will order online and pick-up in-store, 79 percent said they are likely to buy additional items once in the store.

According to National Retail Federation’s Back-to-School Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630.36 on electronics, apparel and other school needs, down from $669.28 last year.

As with any tax-free holiday, there are all kinds of approaches to shopping.

This will be the 11th tax-free weekend in the state and savvy shoppers have developed strategies:

• Shop with a list.
• Research deals, promotions and sales before stepping into the stores. Read the fine print in ads.
• Avoid the crowds - shop a few days before the weekend, and choose your purchases. Some stores will write up the sale and not ring it in until the weekend.
• Find and organize coupons. Consider signing up for your favorite store’s loyalty programs to learn of bargains through emails.
• Set a budget - don’t buy just because it’s on sale.
• Use shopping apps to help find the best deals.
• Check the store’s return policy, especially before purchasing a big-ticket item. Some stores offer a full refund, but have a “restocking” fee. A number of companies charge “restocking fees” that that are often about 15 percent to 20 percent but can go much higher, according to Consumer Reports.

Graphic: National Retail Federation