San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Shoppers score back-to-school items on tax-free weekend.
Back-to-school event sees crowds hit stores, health fair
Barbara Martinez drove 55 miles to San Antonio early Saturday to beat the crowds scrambling for deals on the back-toschool tax-free holiday. When she reached the Target store on Southwest Military Drive, she was surprised by the clear aisles to find school items for 7-year-old daughter Mya.
The mother and daughter from Pearsall shopped without bumping into other customers or standing in long lines. They walked out with a small bag of school supplies and a chair cushion before they headed to South Park Mall to check out other tax holiday offerings.
“I was expecting the parking lot to be full,” said Martinez, 32. “It’s never like this.”
The pair had avoided running into hundreds of shoppers who converged upon other retail outlets to take advantage of suspended state and local taxes on eligible clothing, footwear and school supplies under $100. This is the 20th year for the annual sales tax holiday, which started Friday and runs through midnight tonight.
According to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Texans have saved more than $1.3 billion in local and states taxes since 1999. Hegar said the savings amounted to $8 for every $100 spent. The holiday is not restricted to families with school-age children and applies to anyone buying a qualifying item. According to the Tax Foundation, Texas was one of 16 states that had tax holidays this year.
Farther along Military, City Council District 3 and the University of the Incarnate Word’s schools of osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and nursing hosted a back-to-school health fair. At 11 a.m., 300 people had filed through the building on the UIW medical campus at Brooks City Base. Youngsters and teens stuffed school supplies into some of the 500 free backpacks that District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran handed out with help from the Spurs Coyote.
“It’s a great moment of the community coming together and meeting the need,” Viagran said. “This is just starting the kids off on the right foot for the school year and to relieve the financial burden.”
Patrons young and old danced to thumping music that drowned out the chatter in the room. Vendors included Community First, VIA Metropolitan Transit and the U.S. Census. There were free health screenings and immunizations for children and adults.
“It helps them get ready for school,” said Ruth Deluna, 37, standing with daughters Makaylah, 11, and Aleeah, 8. “And they can learn more about their community.”
By noon, a steady stream of shoppers had visited the J.C. Penney store at the Rim shopping center to look over clothing for children and furnishings for college students at the Dorm Shop.
J.C. Penney manager Diana Wagnon and assistant manager Myra Yebra thanked shoppers for visiting the one-story store on La Cantera Parkway. Yebra said discounts included $10 haircuts for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade at the Salon through Sept. 15. She said the on the second Saturday of each month, the Kids Zone offered free activities, such as a Nerf Gun demonstration for youngsters and coupons for their parents.
“It’s a one-stop shop,” Yebra said.
Wagnon said customers also could receive an extra 25 percent off select items that included clothing, shoes and jewelry. She said the tax-free specials would continue today from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We have style and values for all,” Wagnon said.
Linda Vaello, 62, stocked up on a variety of graphic T-shirts for her 9-year-old grandson, Noah. He dug through the shopping cart for his favorite shirt, which bore a picture of a sunglasses-wearing squirrel holding a sign that read: “Send help. My family is nuts.”
“I found some great deals,” Vaello said, “and I have a Penney’s credit card; so I’ll get an even better deal.”
Before 1 p.m., a line curled from the registers toward the women’s section. Beyond the line, Xavia Bustillos, 25, pushed her 4-yearold daughter, Ayda Rivas, in a stroller as she looked over shelves stacked with folded clothes. She drove in from Fredericksburg with her family for the event.
“It’s been easy going,” she said. “We found everything we need.”