Many stores packed for start of sales tax holiday

UNDATED - Shoppers packed many stores in Gainesville and elsewhere in Georgia Thursday on the first day of this year's sales tax holiday in the state.

It continues through Sunday and is seen as a boon for back-to-school shoppers.

At Filene's Basement in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, fashionistas showed up moments after the store opened yesterday to snap up designer embroidered jean skirts or BCBG tees. Downstairs, the children's clothes section was practically deserted.

Sally Smith, 49, eyed the shoe racks with an armful of clothes for her upcoming vacation. She doesn't have school-age children but didn't want to miss the savings.

Another shopper in the shoe section - 29-year-old Sarah Arvin - didn't know about the sales tax holiday. But it encouraged her to load up on clothes.

The tax break applies to most clothing items under $100 each, computers, printers and school supplies.

Shoppers in Gainesville had to dodge showers and severe thundestorms and deal with malfunctioning traffic lights at times Thursday as they made their way to their favorite retailers.

At times during the day, things were slow at some Gainesville area stores, but then a spurt of shoppers would show up and things would get busy again.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)