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Stamford resident Mikey Vargas, 10, carried a large shopping bag of just-purchased clothes through Stamford Town Center on Friday afternoon. He and his mom, Beatriz, had been shopping for school clothes all week and this was the latest result of their bargain hunting.
"I was trying to take advantage of the huge sale at Lord & Taylor" on High Ridge Road, Beatriz Vargas said. She did that, then made trips to Macy's and other mall stores as well.
Plus, she got an extra bargain. The state offered a tax-free week, whereby shoppers buying clothing and shoe items costing less than $300 do not pay sales tax. Today is the last day of the so-called "tax holiday."
"I didn't even know about the tax-free sale," said Vargas, adding she would have shopped this week anyway.
The foot traffic at the mall Friday afternoon was sparse, suggesting that downtown shoppers either didn't know about or feel compelled to take advantage of the tax holiday.
Kati Rodriguez, store manager at Bakers Shoes, said she has not seen an influx of customers this week.
"I thought it would have increased, but it's steady," she said.
This is the 10th year of the tax holiday. In addition to helping boost the economy, tax-free week is intended to coincide with back-to-school shopping to give parents a "price break," Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a statement.
"I urge everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to save on the purchases they need to make before fall," Rell said. "The state expects to forgo about $3.5 million in sales tax revenue from this week, but we believe it is well worth that investment to benefit residents and retailers alike."Click here to follow Daily Voice Stamford and receive free news updates.
