KSHB 41 reporter Abby Dodge covers consumer issues about personal budgeting and everyday spending. Email her a story idea.
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The National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend more than $38 billion on back-to-school purchases, with an average household expected to spend $875.
There are limitations on the amount of money shoppers can spend on individual items, but Mama and Me Boutique owner Elise Bretz said almost everything in her store qualifies for the tax-free holiday in Missouri.
The tax-free holiday runs from August 2-4.
“If you are going to buy a t-shirt from a big box store, you can come in here and get just as good of quality, if not better, from local stores,” Bretz said.
She bought the shop in April and plans to advertise her store as a place to go back-to-school shopping during the tax holiday weekend.
“So many people don’t realize it’s not just the big box store where you can get the tax-free deal,” she said.
She’s educating the public through online posts and word of mouth.
Bretz said the 8-9% savings are helpful because costs are up for everyone.
“It’s more expensive for the retailers also, not just the consumers,” she said. “When I buy stuff, I have to make sure I’m keeping it at a price point that’s going to keep my customers happy.”
Shoppers I spoke with today said they use the holiday to buy higher-priced items.
“For me, it would be, 'Do we need a big purchase like a computer or something like that for the home?"' "That would be a good time,” said shopper Sarah Dunham. “Other than that, I can’t say it really influenced my shopping a lot.”
The National Retail Federation predicts 66% of consumers will buy electronics when shopping during the back-to-school season.
Those electronics purchases will likely total $13.7 billion, the most of any category.
Bretz hopes when parents think back to school, they think of local shops, too.
Across the state line, Kansas doesn't have a tax-free weekend.
In 2023 and 2024, Gov. Kelly proposed a state sales tax holiday for families buying back to school. Those bills did not make it through the Kansas Legislature.
A spokesperson for Gov. Kelly said, “Governor Kelly knows that school supplies can be expensive. That’s why she has proposed establishing a back-to-school sales tax holiday two years in a row, because every Kansas family should be able to afford the resources their child needs to succeed in the classroom.”
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