UNITED STATES SEC USE ONLY
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    RULE 144

                     NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF SECURITIES
             PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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1(a) NAME OF ISSUER (Please type or print) (b) IRS IDENT. NO. (c) SEC FILE NO.
     Freds Inc                                 62-0634010      001-14565

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1(d) ADDRESS OF ISSUER  STREET  CITY   STATE   ZIP CODE  (e)TELEPHONE NO.
4300 New Getwell Road                                      (901) 365-8880
Memphis, TN  38118

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2(a) NAME OF PERSON FOR WHOSE  (b) SOCIAL SECURITY    (c) RELATIONSHIP
     ACCOUNT THE SECURITIES        NO. OR IRS IDENT.      TO ISSUER
     ARE TO BE SOLD                NO.

     Maxwell, Barry                                       Officer

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(d) ADDRESS        STREET              CITY                ZIP CODE
                             4300 New Getwell Road
                               Memphis, TN, 38118
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INSTRUCTION: The person filing this notice should contact the issuer to obtain
the I.R.S. Identification Number and the SEC File Number.
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                                         SEC USE
3(a)           (b)                       ONLY     (c)           (d)          (e)                (f)                (g)
------------   ---------------------     -------  ---------     ---------    ----------------   ----------------   -----------------
Title of the   Name and Address of       Broker-  Number of     Aggregate    Number of Shares   Approximate        Name of Each
Class of       Each Broker Through       Dealer   Shares or     Market       or Other Units     Date of Sale       Securities
Securities     Whome the Securities      File     Other Units   Value        Outstanding        (See instr. 3(f))  Exchange
to be Sold     are to be Offered         Number   to be Sold    (See instr.  (See instr. 3(e))  (MO. DAY YR.)      (See instr. 3(g))
               or Each Market                     (See instr.   3(d))
               Maker who is                       3(c))
               Aquiring the
               Securities
                                                                                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A        Merrill Lynch                      210           2850          39906030          04/07/05           NASD
Common
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                        TABLE I - SECURITIES TO BE SOLD

Furnish the following information with respect to the acquisition of the
securities to be sold and with respect to the payment of all or any part of the
purchase price or other consideration therefor:



                                               Name of Person
                                               from Whom Acquired
Title of   Date You  Nature of                 (If gift, also give date   Amount of             Date of
the Class  Acquired  Acquisition Transaction   donor acquired)            Securities Acquired   Payment     Nature of Payment
                                                                                          
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Class A   09/30/06  Employee Stock            ESPP                       210                   09/30/06     payroll
Common              Purchase Plan                                                                           deductions April
                                                                                                            2005 to
                                                                                                            September 2005
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              TABLE II - SECURITIES SOLD DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS
Furnish the following information as to all securities of the issuer sold during
the past 3 months by the person for whose account the securities are to be sold.


                                                                                 
                                                                               Amount of     Gross
Name and Address of Seller         Title of Securities Sold    Date of Sale    Securities    Proceeds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0             0
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REMARKS:

INSTRUCTIONS:

See the definition of "person" in paragraph (a) of Rule 144. Information is to
be given not only as to the person for whose account the securities are to be
sold but also as to sales by all persons whose sales are required by paragraph
(e) of Rule 144 to be aggregated with sales for the account of the person filing
this notice.

ATTENTION:

The person for whose account the securities to which this notice relates are to
sold hereby represents by signing this notice that he does not know any material
adverse information in regard to the current and prospective operations of the
Issuer of the securities to be sold which have not been publicly disclosed.

                                      Fred's, Inc.

Date: 04/07/2006                      /s/ Barry Maxwell
                                      Name:  Barry Maxwell
                                      Title: Vice President



The notice shall be signed by the person for whose account the securities are to
be sold. At least one copy of the notice shall be manually signed. Any copies
not manually signed shall bear typed or printed signatures.

ATTENTION: Intentional misstatements or omission of facts constitute Federal
Criminal Violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001).