Tax-Free Weekend Boosts Wine and Alcohol Sales

The tax holiday over the weekend helped some local retailers get a boost in sales, while the sales tax suspension was particularly popular for purchases of wine.

The state sales tax of 6.25 percent was not charged for purchases under $2,500 on Saturday and Sunday, excluding some items like gas and tobacco. The tax-free weekend came after last year's increase in the sales tax, when a tax on alcohol was charged for the first time.

Bill Shube, a wine expert at Shubie's Market, said the shop offered the 6.25 percent sales tax savings on top of another 10-20 percent off cases of wine.

"Most people were buying by the case, which was exciting and good to see," Shube said. "The Shube family is exhausted, we worked all day yesterday."

Haley's Wines and Spirits on Washington Street also got a boost in sales, particularly wine, said owner Julie Vinette.

"A lot of people came in to buy wine to stock up," Vinette said.

She said the imposition of the 6.25 percent tax on wine and alcohol last August did not noticeably hurt her business, although people complained about the tax.

"Of course, it would be great if there wasn't one -- we tried to repeal it -- but it's just the way it is," Vinette said. 

Businesses closer to the borders of tax-free states like New Hampshire are more impacted by the sales tax, Vinette said.

Customers were very happy to see the benefit of a sales tax break. Suzanne Green, owner of Gold Bug Co jewelry store, said people adjusted the date of purchase to avoid the sales tax.

"Some people put things away until Saturday, other people paid ahead to avoid the tax," Green said.

There was some stimulus on her business, Green said. "There were no crowds of people," she added.