This time it's for real.
Kelly Kline takes her daughters, Kiersten, center, and Kayla shopping for shoes at the JC Penney's department store in the Fingerlakes Mall. Starting Tuesday, purchases of shoes and other clothing items will be exempt from state and county sales taxes for a week. Reid Silverman / The Citizen
After taking a pass at the opportunity during the winter, Cayuga County will join the state in removing its sales tax on clothing and footwear purchases starting Tuesday and running through Labor Day. Nobody is happier about that than retailers in the county.
Local stores are anticipating increases in sales thanks to the decision by the county Legislature.
Tax free week begins Tuesday and lasts through Sept. 6. It applies only to clothing and footwear items priced under $110. Shoppers will save 8.25 percent in sales taxes.
Curt Finley, manager of JC Penney at the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius, said the store has posted signs promoting the tax-free week. Last year, when only the state participated in the tax-free week, Penney's experienced some sales increases, but stores in Onondaga County had a larger revenue jump thanks to both county and state participation.
"With full tax relief, we should have significant increases," Finley said. "I am planning to see double-digit increases."
Finley said there was a little bit of a lull in sales last week, something she attributed to people waiting to do their big back-to-school shopping during the tax-free week.
He said he is grateful to the county for participating this time around. The county did not take part in a similar tax-free week during the winter, deciding it needed the revenue from sales taxes.
"It will have a positive impact on our business," Finley said. "We need to keep our customers in our market."
Fingerlakes Mall General Manager Gina Speno echoed Finley's sentiment.
"Anything to keep shoppers here is a positive thing," Speno said. "We're all very pleased the Legislature went with this. We're geared up, and running ads."
Speno said that shoppers who spend more than $100 during the tax-free week can bring their receipts to the customer service center and get a free Steve & Barry's University Sportswear T-shirt, while supplies last.
Steve & Barry's University Sportswear will be opening in the mall in mid-October in the former Manhattan 101 space, in addition to some space next door and in the mall corridor. The store donated the T-shirts to the mall to help them promote the tax-free week.
The mall is participating with Centro Bus as a parking spot for people to go back and forth to the state fair. Speno said the tax-free week will be a draw for those riders going to the fair, as well as all the parents shopping for back-to-school clothes and shoes.
Fashion Bug Assistant Manager Erika Humphrey said her store, located on Grant Avenue, has promotions and sales that generate more shoppers than the tax-free week incentive. Nonetheless, she does expect sales increases over the week, especially for last-minute school shoppers.
"People have asked about the tax-free week," Humphrey said. "A lot of people are looking forward to it."
The store recently added a girls clothing section, with sizes seven to 16, and a maternity section for both misses and plus sizes - departments Humphrey believes will help draw customers into the store.
As far as calculating the total of purchases without the sales tax, both Finley and Humphrey said that is taken care of by the corporate offices' technology department.
"This is a great place to be right now," Finley said. "The rejuvenation of this mall has been wonderful for everybody."
Staff writer Shelly Oddo can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shelly.oddo@lee.net
Local stores are anticipating increases in sales thanks to the decision by the county Legislature.
Tax free week begins Tuesday and lasts through Sept. 6. It applies only to clothing and footwear items priced under $110. Shoppers will save 8.25 percent in sales taxes.
Curt Finley, manager of JC Penney at the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius, said the store has posted signs promoting the tax-free week. Last year, when only the state participated in the tax-free week, Penney's experienced some sales increases, but stores in Onondaga County had a larger revenue jump thanks to both county and state participation.
"With full tax relief, we should have significant increases," Finley said. "I am planning to see double-digit increases."
Finley said there was a little bit of a lull in sales last week, something she attributed to people waiting to do their big back-to-school shopping during the tax-free week.
He said he is grateful to the county for participating this time around. The county did not take part in a similar tax-free week during the winter, deciding it needed the revenue from sales taxes.
"It will have a positive impact on our business," Finley said. "We need to keep our customers in our market."
Fingerlakes Mall General Manager Gina Speno echoed Finley's sentiment.
"Anything to keep shoppers here is a positive thing," Speno said. "We're all very pleased the Legislature went with this. We're geared up, and running ads."
Speno said that shoppers who spend more than $100 during the tax-free week can bring their receipts to the customer service center and get a free Steve & Barry's University Sportswear T-shirt, while supplies last.
Steve & Barry's University Sportswear will be opening in the mall in mid-October in the former Manhattan 101 space, in addition to some space next door and in the mall corridor. The store donated the T-shirts to the mall to help them promote the tax-free week.
The mall is participating with Centro Bus as a parking spot for people to go back and forth to the state fair. Speno said the tax-free week will be a draw for those riders going to the fair, as well as all the parents shopping for back-to-school clothes and shoes.
Fashion Bug Assistant Manager Erika Humphrey said her store, located on Grant Avenue, has promotions and sales that generate more shoppers than the tax-free week incentive. Nonetheless, she does expect sales increases over the week, especially for last-minute school shoppers.
"People have asked about the tax-free week," Humphrey said. "A lot of people are looking forward to it."
The store recently added a girls clothing section, with sizes seven to 16, and a maternity section for both misses and plus sizes - departments Humphrey believes will help draw customers into the store.
As far as calculating the total of purchases without the sales tax, both Finley and Humphrey said that is taken care of by the corporate offices' technology department.
"This is a great place to be right now," Finley said. "The rejuvenation of this mall has been wonderful for everybody."
Staff writer Shelly Oddo can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shelly.oddo@lee.net