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(Memphis) Armed with school supply lists in hand, parents, grandparents and some students braved their way through retail stores in hopes of saving a few dollars.
           
Mary Rogers showed up at the Target store in East Memphis with her nieces and nephew, determined to take advantage of a sales tax-free weekend.

Rogers said, “When you spend two and three hundred dollars on school supplies and you get the tax-free off of it, it’s a lot of money. It’s like getting twice as much as you normally could.”
        
It’s why Kimberly Taylor and her daughters are making the rounds at several retail stores, “I came to pick up a few last-minute items and since we’re having a tax-free sale, I figured I’d come in here.”
           
In Tennessee, customers will be exempt from the state sales tax rate of about seven percent and local rates in Memphis around two percent.

John Purdy is a manager with Target, “Our shoppers look forward to this time every year and so they know they’re going to be able to come here as a one stop shop to be able to save a lot of money, getting everything from school supplies, clothes and things for the dorm.”
           
So what’s eligible this weekend?

Clothing and shoes that are under $100 per item qualify, along with school and art supplies.

Computers and some equipment priced under $1,500 are eligible, including monitors and keyboards, but smartphones and video game consoles are not.
          
Gayle Small, who’s shopping for her grandson and his friend, said the savings can be substantial, “I really have seen there are sales out here for this particular weekend. We just left another retailer in Midtown and they had some specials going. So, I think it does make a difference for families.”
         
It’s a big difference for families such as the Rogers who want to save a few bucks before the start of school, “Kids are going to be starting Monday. So, it’s important to go ahead and do that.”

Several stores in Tennessee will open early and offer extended hours and promotions during the three-day event.

For information on what is tax-free and what isn’t, go here: