A three-day sales tax holiday begins Friday in Virginia, giving customers a break on back-to-school supplies and other qualifying items.
From 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, the sales tax exemption will be in effect for school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items, and Energy Star and WaterSense products. According to the Virginia Department of Taxation, that includes the following items:
- School supplies, clothing and footwearÂ
- Qualified school supplies — $20 or less per item
- Qualified clothing and footwear — $100 or less per item
- Hurricane and emergency preparedness products Â
- Portable generators — $1,000 or less per item
- Gas-powered chainsaws — $350 or less per item
- Chainsaw accessories — $60 or less per item
- Other specified hurricane preparedness items — $60 or less per item
- Energy Star and WaterSense​ productsÂ
- Qualifying Energy Star or WaterSense products purchased for noncommercial home or personal use — $2,500 or less per item
Before 2015, the three categories of items were available free of sales taxes on three separate weekends throughout the year.
Under current law, the sales tax rate is 5.3 percent — 4.3 percent for the state sales and use tax and 1 percent for the local option sales and use tax. In the Northern Virginia region, there is an additional 0.7 percent state tax for transportation.
For more details and a more extensive list of what items qualify for the tax exemption, check the Department of Taxation’s guidelines.
After being announced earlier this year, women’s boutique Scout & Molly’s has opened at its new location at 11944 Market St. in Reston Town Center.
The store officially opened in the new space last week. Construction delays had kept it out of the space formerly occupied by PR Barbers for longer than anticipated.
Prior to getting into its permanent storefront between Ted’s Bulletin and Bowtie Cinemas, the boutique had been operating out of a pop-up shop at the eastern end of Market Street for a month.
Scout & Molly’s has more than 30 locations nationwide and expects to double that number soon. It also has stores in Merrifield’s Mosaic District and Ashburn’s One Loudoun.
As a going-out-of-business sale continues at Kmart in Herndon (494 Elden St.), the town’s mayor says there are big plans in the site’s future.
In a comment on Reston Now’s Facebook page, Mayor Lisa Merkel says the Kmart’s closing has been “coming for a while,” but that she has been in recent contact with the building’s owners and is optimistic about its future.
“They are going to upgrade the facade significantly and subdivide the very large space into several new businesses,” Merkel wrote. “I was mostly pleased with what they shared and gave some specific feedback that we are looking to elevate the status of that end of the center.”
Merkel said she could not share specifics about the new businesses coming in, as leases are still being negotiated.
Howard Riefs, director of corporate communications for Kmart owner Sears Holdings Corporation, said the store will remain open for customers into late July. He called the decision to close the store “difficult, but necessary.”
“We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity, and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores as previously announced. We often hear from our members who are disappointed when we close a store, but our Shop Your Way membership platform, websites and mobile apps allow us to maintain these valued relationships long after a store closes its doors. As a result, we hope to retain a portion of the sales previously associated with this store by maintaining our relationships with the members who shopped this location.”
Kiefs also said customers can continue to shop at the company’s other area locations, and that employees who are eligible will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at those stores. The nearest remaining Kmarts will be in Springfield and Annandale, while Sears has stores at Dulles Town Center and Fair Oaks Mall.
The 84,000-square foot store was purchased in August by Florida-based real estate-investment firm Sterling Organization at a cost of $7 million. At the time, the firm’s CEO said “the real estate fundamentals of — and the demographics surrounding — this property are nothing short of exceptional.”
The rest of the shopping plaza, known as Herndon Centre, is owned by A.J. Dwoskin & Associates Inc.
Signs are going up this morning at Kmart (494 Elden St., Herndon) advertising a store-closing sale.
The 84,000-square foot store was purchased in August by Florida-based real estate-investment firm Sterling Organization at a cost of $7 million. At the time, the firm’s CEO said “the real estate fundamentals of — and the demographics surrounding — this property are nothing short of exceptional.”
The chain announced 150 store closures earlier this year; however, the Herndon location was not on that list.
A manager at the store Friday morning told Reston Now he was not authorized to provide further details about the situation.
J.McLaughlin Now Open at Reston Town Center — The new clothing store at 11932 Market St. opened to the public Monday. [Reston Town Center/Facebook]
Thermal Cameras Available for Home Inspections — Fairfax County residents can now reserve thermal imaging cameras for loan from any branch of the Fairfax County Public Library. The county says it is making the cameras available so that residents can inspect their home or business for hot and cold spots, which can indicate energy-saving opportunities. [Fairfax County]
SLHS Runner Takes Meet MVP Honors — Olivia Beckner (pictured) ran the 800 meters in 2 minutes, 16.03 seconds and the 1,600 meters in 5 minutes, 1.35 seconds on her way to winning the Most Valuable Female Track Athlete award at the recent Lake Braddock Hall of Fame Invitational. The SLHS track team next competes in the Penn Relays, Thursday through Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania. [Press Release]
Reston Man Up for Bowling Board — Adam Mitchell is one of four candidates for three seats on the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Board of Directors. Mitchell has been a board member for Nation’s Capital Area USBC since 2014, and is a current Virginia State Youth Director. The vote will be done this week during the group’s annual convention in Las Vegas. [USBC]
Photo of Olivia Beckner courtesy South Lakes High School track and field
Reston Town Center announced Tuesday that clothing store J.McLaughlin will open on Market Street later this year.
According to a press release:
J.McLaughlin, a classic American clothing and accessories brand for women and men, is expanding its retail fleet to RTC with a new location slated to open later this year.
The 1,113 square foot store will feature all of the elements that classify the trademark J.McLaughlin aesthetic, an inviting feeling with distinctive details, furnishings and décor. In keeping with the colorful palette and cheeky details of the brand, the interior of this store is decorated with marine shades of green and blue complemented by bamboo-inspired furnishings.
The Reston Town Center location marks J.McLaughlin’s fifth location in Virginia and the 177th store to open nationwide. Originally founded by two brothers, Kevin and Jay McLaughlin, in 1977, the retailer believes in “being a good neighbor” and approaches business as a welcome and active community member.
The shop will be located at 11932 Market St., the former location of Origins, which closed in January. As we previously reported, signs advertising the new clothing store were posted by Feb. 1.
A women’s boutique and a clothing store both have plans to open on Market Street.
Scout & Molly’s is set to arrive at 11944 Market Street later this year, Reston Town Center announced Wednesday morning. The location is wedged between Ted’s Bulletin and Bowtie Cinemas, a space that was occupied by PR Barbers before it moved to Discovery Street last summer.
According to a press release, Scout & Molly’s “will carry a wide variety of designers to accommodate any fashion enthusiast’s taste, offering discerning RTC patrons distinctive ways to express their style in a friendly, comfortable environment.”
Scout & Molly’s has more than 30 locations nationwide and expects to double that number soon. It has stores in Merrifield’s Mosaic District and Ashburn’s One Loudoun.
On the other side of Bowtie Cinemas, the storefront that housed cosmetics store Origins (11932 Market Street) until it closed in January is also showing signs of life. Signage on the store’s windows indicates a J.McLaughlin clothing store is “coming soon.” Boston Properties spokesperson Rob Weinhold said more information about the incoming business would be “forthcoming at the proper time.”
J.McLaughlin has more than 100 stores nationwide, including in D.C. and Bethesda.
Reston residents are set to have the chance to do some Christmas shopping and help people in need this weekend.
The 16th annual “Alternative Gift Market” is slated to return to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston (1625 Wiehle Ave.) Saturday from 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
During the market, shoppers can make donations to 30 local and international nonprofit organizations on behalf of loved ones. Cornerstones, Giving Circle of Hope and Kids R First are among the groups that are participating.
The donations, which come with holiday cards, include $10 for meals at Reston’s Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter, $15 for school supplies for Northern Virginia students and $55 for a water well pump in South Sudan.
Visitor to the market also can buy fair trade, handmade presents from Amani ya Juu, an African sewing and training program for women.
Image via Unitarian Universalist Church
There are great deals to be had as several merchants at Herndon’s Sunset Park industrial and retail area are teaming up for a sidewalk sale Thursday through Saturday.
Among the items for sale: floor samples and other bargains from Urban Retreat furniture store; Outdoor living items from Home Escapes; Women’s clothing at N’Used (all items in the tent are $5); $10 floral arrangements from Joy & Co.; handmade candy by The  Candy Drawer Confectionary; and linens from Valerianne.
Urban Retreat, which moved into the space at 290 Sunset Park last year, will also hold a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting with Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel Saturday at noon.
Sunset Park is located off Sunset Hills Road/Spring Street, between the Fairfax County Parkway and Herndon Parkway.
The sidewalk sale runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days.