Small business owners emphasize shopping local during tax free weekend

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - With Oklahoma’s tax free weekend upon us, many local businesses see a lot of potential customers go to other markets to take advantage of the sales, which is why many local small businesses are encouraging locals to stay and shop locally.

Owner of Affinitee Shirt Co. Katrina Thompson says staying local to go shopping means a lot in terms of supporting the community.

“During the weekends like this where you do have the option to go somewhere else or to some of these bigger stores, it is so amazing to see the choice be made to support the local businesses and the families that are here in your community.”

Oklahoma’s tax free weekend is limited to clothing and footwear, but next weekend Texas will be having their tax free weekend which includes a few more items such as school supplies.

Small business owners are encouraging those looking to get a good bargain this weekend to stay local and are inviting those from all over Oklahoma and Texas to come see things they won’t find anywhere else.

“We have a ton of customers that come from Wichita Falls and shop with us up here like on their way to Medicine Park, so we also sell that as like local tourism stuff,” says Staci Kloxin, who is a Manager at Country Lace Boutique.

“The awesome thing about boutiques and small businesses is normally every store does not have the same thing.”

The support from the community is what keeps small businesses like these going, especially during times where customers have other options.

Both Thompson and Kloxin emphasized that shopping local means a lot to them as it supports not only their businesses, but families as well.

And that support speaks volumes about the community as a whole.

“It just shows that we’re all in this together,” Thompson adds. “You know, as a business owner there are dreams that we have had to be able to grow something and to do something special. And then for the community to jump in and show support for that too, it just means the world.”

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