Grenada’s government has rolled out details for its 2026 Cost of Living Assistance Programme, a targeted policy designed to ease financial pressure on local consumers by introducing three weekend VAT-free shopping events in the final third of the year.
The initiative, led by the country’s Ministry of Finance and managed by the Inland Revenue Division, will open VAT-free shopping to consumers on three paired weekends: 28–29 August, 25–26 September, and 30–31 October 2026. During these dates, shoppers will be exempt from paying value-added tax on qualifying purchases made at registered participating businesses across all parishes of the island nation.
Officials have published a preliminary full roster of approved vendors spanning every parish, which have been grouped by geographic region for easier consumer navigation. In the parish of St George, the most heavily represented region, hundreds of registered retailers have been confirmed to participate, covering nearly every sector of local consumer commerce. These include large grocery chains such as 10 Points Grocery, Big Bazaar, Budget Foods Inc., and Ram’s Grenada Limited; independent grocers and convenience stores like A & M Mini Mart, Aalim Store, and Best Buy; pharmacies ranging from Best Care Pharmacy Grenada Inc., Atlantic Health Pharmacy Ltd, to Wecare Pharmacy and multiple Hills & Valley-branded pharmaceutical locations; auto parts and service suppliers including Andy Johnson Auto Parts, Knight’s Auto World Ltd, and Steele’s Auto Supplies Co. Ltd; hardware and building suppliers such as Europa Hardware Grenada Ltd, Elegant Plumbing & Supplies Ltd, and M and N Hardware Mahon and Sons Limited; and specialty retailers spanning optical care, furniture, clothing, marine supplies, electronic goods, and more.
Outside of St George, participating retailers are also confirmed across every other parish on the main island and the smaller island of Carriacou. St Andrew’s approved vendors include 3P’s Mini Mart, Baron Foods (Grenada) Limited, Pick-N-Pay, and Shop N Save Wholesale & Retail Ltd, among others. St David will host participating businesses such as Automaster Inc., Aubrey’s Green Grocery, and St David’s Pharmacy Ltd. St John’s approved retailers include Dominics Shopping Centre Limited, OK Supermarket Ltd, and Spice Isle Pharmacy Co Ltd, while St Patrick and St Mark also have a range of local vendors registered for the program. On Carriacou, popular local retailers including Ade’s Dream Supermarket Ltd, D & D Super Centre, and Ken’s Supa Valu are among the participating locations.
The Inland Revenue Division has noted that the published list remains preliminary, and any eligible retail business that does not appear on the current roster has until 19 August 2026 to submit an appeal for inclusion. Businesses seeking to appeal can contact the division via phone at 440-3556 or by email at helpdesk@irdgovgd.
The VAT-free shopping program is a core component of the government’s broader strategy to address rising cost of living pressures, putting direct savings in the pockets of local consumers while supporting small and medium-sized retail businesses across the country by encouraging consumer spending during the event weekends. Consumers are advised to confirm participation with individual retailers ahead of shopping to access the VAT exemption benefit.