The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

The Shops at Wiregrass

Shoppers can benefit during state’s sales tax holiday

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Officials at The Shops at Wiregrass expect the mall to attract more traffic as shoppers take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday, Aug. 2-4. (Photo courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass.
Officials at The Shops at Wiregrass expect the mall to attract more traffic as shoppers take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday, Aug. 2-4. (Photo courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass.

It’s that time of year again, when families start gearing up for a new academic year by shopping for new school clothes, shoes, supplies and backpacks.

Just in time for those back-to-school purchases, Florida is having its sales tax holiday.

This time – for the first time – personal computers and accessories, valued up to $750, are also exempt from sales taxes during the sales tax holiday, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 2 and goes through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 4.

Retailers are staffing up as families take advantage of tax savings and markdowns, Rick McAllister, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said in a news release.

Retailers expect the introduction of the computer sales exemption to give the popular tax holiday a significant boost, McAllister said.

Clothing items and shoes priced at up to $75 are exempt, and so are school supply items, sold at no more than $15.

McAllister thinks the new computer exemption will drive purchases.

“Most families in Florida own a computer of one type or another, and we expect that many will take advantage of the tax savings to purchase computers for their kids or upgrade their own,” McAllister said. “And you’ll see great deals on clothes, shoes and school supplies. It’s a winning proposition for Florida’s families and for our retailers, because we’ll see a good boost in commerce over the weekend.

“Stores are actively competing with each other for customers, and that usually means plenty of markdowns to attract shoppers,” he added.

Retailers in Florida are expected to boost staffing by about 20 percent during the tax holiday weekend to accommodate shoppers. In general, retailers expect an average increase of between 30 and 40 percent in store traffic over the weekend because of the sales tax holiday, McAllister said.

A National Retail Federation survey predicts that families with school-aged children will spend an average of $634.78 on apparel, shoes, supplies and electronics in 2013, down from $688.62 last year.

McAllister noted, however, that “because of the tax holiday, retail stores generally perform a little better in Florida than in states without a sales tax holiday.”

The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel historically sees more shoppers at its stores during August because of back-to-school sales and an uptick in activity during the sales tax holiday, said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing.

It’s also a fun time, Detweiler said. “We enjoy seeing parents shopping with their kids for back-to-school.”

For more details on items that are exempt under the tax-free holiday, go to the Florida Department of Revenue’s website at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/ and click on “Sales Tax Holiday, Aug. 2-4, 2013.”

First retailer announced for potential outlet mall in Wesley Chapel

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Plans are apparently moving forward on an outlet mall development in Wesley Chapel, according to a recent announcement posted on Simon Property Group Inc.’s website.

Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th plans to open a new location at Tampa Premium Outlets in Wesley Chapel, in 2014, according to the posting.

The announcement signals the first retailer to announce plans to locate at the potential upscale outlet center on a portion of the Cypress Creek Town Center site near Interstate 75.

Representatives from Simon would not provide additional information.

News of the potential outlet surfaced in February, after Pasco County administrator John Gallagher met with representatives from Simon and from the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Plans for Cypress Creek Town Center were announced years ago and the mall received a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers in 2007, but then the project became mired in legal battles and the economy tanked.

A federal court ruling on Nov. 17 affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded a previous district ruling in a case involving the Sierra Club and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the permit for the mall.

However, an issue that remains unresolved involves the eastern indigo snake.

Simon’s recent announcement appears to signal progress toward development of an outlet mall, and that prospect already has received a warm reception from major players in Wesley Chapel. Representatives from the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, The Shops at Wiregrass and the Porter family, who are major landholders, all have said an upscale outlet mall would enhance the area’s offerings.

Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th leverages Saks Fifth Avenue’s knowledge of fashion in the marketplace to create exclusive brands, providing customers with accessible luxuries, trend-right values and stylish exclusives, according to Simon’s announcement.

It features a luxury-in-a-loft design which can showcase an emerging trend one day and a great deal the next, the website says.

There are 34 Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th locations within the Simon portfolio both in its Premium Outlets and The Mills divisions.

Simon’s Premium Outlets portfolio features 70 Premium Outlet Centers including 57 in the United States, one in Puerto Rico, eight in Japan, two in Korea, one in Malaysia and one in Mexico.

Simon Property Group currently owns or has an interest in 337 retail real estate properties in North America and Asia comprising 244 million square feet. It is headquartered in Indianapolis and employs approximately 5,500 people in the U.S. For more information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.