In the wake of the lackluster sales national chain stores posted for July, the Illinois sales tax holiday couldn’t have come at a better time.

Illinois’ first sales tax holiday, which starts Friday, waves the 5 percent state sales tax through Aug. 15, focusing on basic school supplies from backpacks to uniforms. With unemployment high and consumer spending stalling again, retailers are latching onto the deal with bargains in hopes of igniting a spark under increasingly reticent shoppers.
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