Friday, August 1, 2008

Tax-Free Shopping

It's a tax-free weekend in my state, which I think is a marketing strategy more than a real benefit to consumers. But I bought into it anyway (literally!!) and took the girls to the mall today to do some shopping. Clothes, shoes, and school supplies are tax-exempt; unfortunately books are not!

We weren't really out to buy clothes. The girls have plenty and I don't really buy them school clothes until into the fall because it stays so warm here through September. But L needed some shoes to go with a dress for a bat mitvah that she is attending and both girls needed new bras.

We started at Victoria's Secret because we had some coupons. The manager was just opening the store when we arrived and she was soooo incredibly helpful. If you have ever shopped foe bras with your teen/tween daughter --or if you have ever been a teen/tween and had to shop for bras with your mother, you know that it is an excrutiating experience. Luckily, Victoria's Secret has the cool factor working for it, so the girls don't mind going there. And this saleswoman was so terrific - helping them find their sizes and styles and generally making it fun and pleasant instead of a horror.

Then we go to check out and what do we find? There is a MALE working the register!!! Since when do they let men work at Victoria's Secret?? That definitely made things a bit uncomfortable for the girls, especially when he tries to induce me to apply for their credit card program so that we can get discounts on "bras and panties." I can just see the girls cringing as he says the word!! I'm sure he is a perfectly nice guy, but he needs to find another line of work!

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