TAZEWELL — Shop locally and shop a lot — that’s the message area merchants would like to send, especially this weekend.

The annual Sales Tax Holiday begins this Friday, providing timely savings to Tennesseans who are experiencing the effects of a slowing national economy here in the state. Shoppers can save almost 10 percent on tax-free clothing, school and art supplies and computer purchases.

Local stores such as Radio Shack are hoping to see a lot of customers preparing for the new school year, according to sales manager Kerry Howard. Several computer systems are available there, and computers are a big-ticket item that’s eligible for the sales tax exemption. For example, purchasing a system that costs $1,200 during this sales tax holiday would save you $111 — a big savings.

The holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 1, and ends on Sunday, August 3 at 11:59 p.m. During the designated three-day weekend, consumers may purchase select clothing with a price of $100 or less per item, school and art supplies with a price of $100 or less per item, and computers with a price of $1,500 or less without paying Tennessee’s state and local sales tax. Visit www.tntax holiday.com for more information on the holiday, including an audio news release available for download from Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr.

“Since 2007, Tennesseans have saved more than $8 million by purchasing tax-free items,” said Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr. “We are hopeful that Tennessee shoppers will continue to save during this holiday while generating business for our retailers.”

The average family will spend nearly $600 on back-to-school purchases, according to a National Retail Federation estimate. Although anyone can take advantage of the holiday, back-to-school shoppers looking to save money can save almost $50 on supplies by purchasing them during the holiday, equaling a significant portion of one visit to the gas pump.

Consumers can also save money by shopping at home and saving gas money. The holiday also includes purchases of qualified items sold via mail, telephone, e-mail or Internet if the customer orders and pays for the item and the retailer accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period.

The Sales Tax Holiday is an ideal way to prepare your children for a successful school year. Examples of exempt items include:

Clothing: Shirts, dresses, pants, coats, gloves and mittens, hats and caps, hosiery, neckties, belts, sneakers, shoes, uniforms whether athletic or non-athletic and scarves

School Supplies: Binders, book bags, calculators, tape, chalk, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, pens, pencils, lunch boxes, notebooks, paper, rulers and scissors

Art Supplies: Clay and glazes; acrylic, tempera and oil paints; paintbrushes for artwork; sketch and drawing pads; and watercolors

Computers: Central processing unit (CPU), along with various other components including monitor, keyboard, mouse, cables to connect components and preloaded software (Note: While the CPU may be purchased separately, other items must be part of a bundled computer package in order to be eligible.)

Please visit the Sales Tax Holiday Web site at www.tntaxholiday.com to learn more about the items exempt from sales tax. The Tennessee Department of Revenue also offers assistance to consumers via e-mail, Salestax.Holiday @state.tn.us, and through its toll-free statewide telephone hot line, (800) 342-1003. Staff is available to answer questions Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.Central Time. (Out-of-state and Nashville-area callers, please dial (615) 253-0600.)