Tax Day Promotions

President's Day sales, Black Friday, Day After Christmas returns, January White Sale ... days that have become synonymous with sales and promotions. That doesn't even include Back-to-School.

The newest promotional window, as witnessed in 2010? Tax day, April 15!

Couldn't believe it. Everywhere I turned yesterday, there was a promotion. Free coffee at Starbucks, free cupcakes at Cinnabon, free cookies at Subway, free burgers at the BLT Gourmet Truck here in NY .... not to mention all the happy hour specials at all the restaurants and bars. Tax day became the day of food and drink promotion. Some of the Whole Foods markets even picked up the tax bill off purchases made yesterday. That's a good one!

So I have to ask ... what's the insight?

Tax day is stressful, even if you are getting a refund and even if you prepared your paperwork ahead of time. It's stressful. Must be the cash outlay or the notion of big government raining down. But it's also a tie that binds us all. We collectively need a sense of relief. Nothing better than food and drink to do that!

I'll admit it. After I waited 45 minutes in line at the post office, I did stop off at Starbucks for a free cup of coffee. I needed some pampering.

The merchants have evidently caught on to the need and are offering up some value to their consumers. Which leaves me to declare Tax Day as another one of the great promotional days of the year.

What's your experience? Jim.