Columbia, S. C. – Governor Jim Hodges today hailed the completion of a successful sales tax holiday.

"This past weekend benefited all South Carolinians," Hodges said. "Parents were able to buy school supplies tax-free. Other South Carolinians saved money on a variety of items. And our merchants benefited from one of the largest shopping days of the year."

Governor Hodges was joined by Elizabeth Carpentier, Director of the Department of Revenue, and Jim Hatchell, President of the S.C. Merchants Association.

Preliminary figures on the sales tax holiday show that sales volume increased 75 to 80 percent from the same weekend last year. South Carolina merchants estimate they took in an estimated $250 million because of the sales tax holiday. These figures include:

100 percent increase in sales of footwear
100 percent increase in sales of apparel
80 percent increase in sales of electronics
30 percent increase in sales of jewelry and other non-exempt items

"We're going to look at the possibility of even more sales tax holidays in the future," Hodges said.