How do area stores handle tax-free holidays?
[ Originally published on: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 ] As retailers around Massachusetts prepare for the tax-free weekend this month, some local businesses have taken different approaches to ensure they get the sales. Wilson’s Department Store, on Main Street in Greenfield, is not usually open on Sundays. Instead of reducing its tax-free days to the lone Saturday, Wilson’s will pay the tax for customers on the Friday before the weekend. That way customers can shop tax-free for two full days at the department store. ”We look at it as a service to our customers,” said Tamara Beauregard, vice president of Wilson’s. ”Anything to keep shoppers in Greenfield, shopping locally.” And Greenfield Furniture, which isn’t keen on tax-free holidays, is offering twice the savings from now until the tax holiday to avoid a 48-hour shopping frenzy later this month. Since 2004, Massachusetts shoppers have reveled in a weekend where they can save the 5 percent sales tax on taxable items. This year, l
