BusinessReport.com

Area retailers have staffed up and stocked up in anticipation of this weekend’s sales tax holiday. Monique Hester, marketing director of the Mall at Cortana, says, like the 2005 tax holiday for Katrina relief, mall retailers anticipate “a fantastic weekend” especially in school supplies. “It’s only 4%, but it’s great,” Hester says of the tax break, which continues until midnight Saturday on certain goods up to $2,500. Some merchants might extend store hours this weekend, Hester says. Lita Brister, manager of Cache’ in the Mall at Cortana, says they’ve called in extra workers because the specialty boutique has historically benefited from walk-by traffic on these tax holidays. Of anticipated sales, Brister says “You never know, but I would love us to do a 20% to 30% increase.” A manager at the Target store on Siegen Lane says he expects a rush after lunch today and into the weekend, especially for school supplies and uniforms. Target also brought in more workers in case of increased sales. Dan Schibley, tax analyst for Illinois-based CCH Group, a national provider of tax services, says they’re seeing other states expand the tax holiday beyond the traditional back-to-school route to multiple holidays a year, for energy-efficient items and hurricane recovery. --Anna Thibodeaux