www.roanoke.com

On New Years Day, many businesses are closed, but as some shopaholics can attest, Jan. 1 is a big day for killer sales.

Malls across the area, as well as big box stores, will be open tomorrow, and you'll likely find larger discounts than last weekend. Retailers still are trying to move out winter sweaters, holiday-related ornaments and decor and most anything else that's still left on store racks.

But don't wait until too late tomorrow evening to head to Valley View or Tanglewood malls. They close at 6 p.m.

I'll be taking tomorrow off from blogging, but comment here on some of the sales that you find around the area.

Happy New Year!

Today is the last day that you can dine at an upscale restaurant in downtown Roanoke.

John and Betsy Williams are closing Billy’s Ritz and its gourmet cheese shop, because they’re retiring from the business.

The Williams are in the process of selling two adjoining buildings at 10 Market St. and 102 Salem Ave. that house the restaurant and cheese shop. But John Williams said he will not yet reveal the name of the potential buyer. In August, I reported that a local person had a contract to purchase the property, according to commercial real estate firm, Poe & Cronk Real Estate.

On Jan. 19, there will be an auction at the former Billy's Ritz building to sell its antiques and other furnishings.

John Williams and two business partners opened the restaurant about 27 years ago. Eventually, John and Betsy Williams became the sole owners.

In October, I checked out the items that are sold at the Hudson News gift shop at the Roanoke Regional Airport, and I reported that it lacked some locally-made offerings from Roanoke companies and retailers.

I heard back recently from an entrepreneur that likely next year will begin selling its locally designed handbags at the airport’s shop. It’s Claire V., a handbag company based in Roanoke. The company's handbags are crafted in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Laura Bradford Godfrey, who owns Claire V., said Hudson Group Retail Specialists, a New Jersey company that operates Hudson News shops in airports nationwide, contacted her after the newspaper article was published about selling her handbags there.

Recently, they worked out a few details about the arrangement, though Godfrey said she does not yet know how much space Claire V. will have inside the Hudson News shop.

Wertz’s Restaurant & Wine Bar has closed, and its owner, Gary Crowder, is retiring after 28 years in the restaurant business.

Crowder has had some health problems, and he said that is why he is closing Wertz's, which is located on Market Street in downtown Roanoke.

But he will continue to sell produce from a booth at the city's downtown farmer’s market. Crowder’s wife, Shellie Crowder, also co-owns Little Dipper, an ice cream and food shop on Market Street.

A mother and son team who own a local catering company, called Divinity Catering, plan to move into the Wertz’s space and open a restaurant there by February, Crowder said. Debbie Spangler is the president of Divinity.

Crowder still owns the Wertz’s building, and he said he’s leasing the space to the new restaurateurs. And he plans to stay involved in the city’s downtown, through his produce stand and his seat on the board of directors for Downtown Roanoke Inc.

“The Market is me. It’s what I am and what I’m about,” Crowder said.
About closing Wertz’s, “The main thing is we’re not going to have an empty storefront,” he added.

Stay tuned for more details about the new eatery that will open this winter in Wertz’s space.

Christmas is over, and you’re likely still cleaning up leftover gift wrap and storing away new presents.
By now, you also may have ventured out to stores to return some of the gifts that you do not want.

Even today, some Roanoke area shopping centers appeared to be bustling with people who have taken the week off from work to nab after-Christmas deals, return items or spend prized gift cards. The National Retail Federation reported in a survey last month that people are returning less gifts each year because of the popularity of gift cards.

But retailers’ return polices are becoming stricter by the year. Check out this story for specifics.

Meanwhile, keep in mind a few of these tips for happy returns from Consumer Reports:
--Keep gift receipts, because they’re vital for most returns. Also, they ensure that you receive full price for the item.
--You might not get a cash refund. The refund might come in the form of a store gift card or credit.
--Do not open boxes that you want to return. Some retailers will only exchange the item for another if the package has been opened. They will not always provide a full refund.
--Ask online retailers if they’ll pay shipping charges for returns. Some e-tailers provide prepaid mailers.
--Check about returning an online purchase to a retailer’s brick and mortar store. It saves time repacking the gift and paying shipping charges.

At 10 p.m. Thursday, shoppers still were moving in between racks of clothes and accessories at Macy’s in Roanoke, hunting for gifts and good bargains. But they didn’t have to worry about the store closing.
Macy’s is open until midnight through Dec. 23, even though Valley View Mall closes at 10 p.m. Two other department stores with local locations, Belk and J.C. Penney, also are pulling midnight hours through the weekend.

The extended hours are enticing people who have waited until the latest possible minute to finish their Christmas shopping. Some locally owned stores, such as Vida Bela on Grandin Road in Roanoke, plan to be open on Sundays and other non-typical business days. Vida Bela will open this Sunday and Monday from 1 to 4 p.m. to drum up business, said owner Debra Carey. She typically closes her shop on these days.

Check out my story in this Sunday’s Roanoke Times business section to learn more last minute shopping tips and how retailers are handling the final hours leading up to Dec. 25.

I won’t be blogging for the next few days, but I’ll be back here by the middle of next week.

Have a Merry Christmas!

If you’re still wrapping up your Christmas presents, Ukrop’s Super Market is marketing its grocery bags as gift wrap.

The grocer's holiday paper bags can be turned inside out for use to wrap packages. Also, the store has left its logo off of the bag so the wrapping job won’t look odd.

I've seen people use similar items to wrap gifts, such as comics, newspaper and other brown paper bags.

Here’s a picture of the wrap. It’s not fancy, but it could do the job and be cost efficient.

Four days until Christmas, and you're likely finishing up shopping or preparing for holiday gatherings.

Perhaps you're also thinking about how great you’d look in a red sweater, now 50 percent off, or watching football games next week on a shiny--and discounted--flat screen television?

Some retail analysts attributed strong November sales, which rose 5.1 percent from last year, not only to people who have bought gifts for others but to those who bought themselves a gift as well.

“The consumers take advantage of these holiday promotional offers to spend additional things on themselves,” said Phil Rist, with BIG Research, an Ohio firm, during a briefing about holiday sales last week with the National Retail Federation.

The NRF actually breaks out the amount of money that the average person spends self-shopping each holiday. In 2006, the average person spent $99.22 on themselves, the group reported.

What about you?

Saving money for Christmas has changed over time.

I wrote last month about diminishing layaway services at some retailers. But there is another form of holiday savings that slowly is going away --Christmas Club accounts.

Most banks used to offer Christmas Clubs. They allow a customer to set aside a certain amount of money regularly, such as each month, for most of the year. In October or November, the bank sends the customer a check for the amount of money they saved. And that’s what people used to pay for Christmas gifts each year.

Now, people use credit cards to pay for everything in their lives. Most large banks no longer have Christmas Clubs, yet they may offer savings accounts with similar conditions.
Here’s a recent story about Christmas Clubs in the Raleigh News & Observer.

I tracked down a local bank that still offers Christmas Clubs. It’s Carter Bank & Trust, based in Rocky Mount. This bank has had Christmas Club accounts since the bank was formed in the 1970s, and they still are popular, said Bill Wells, a senior vice president at Carter Bank & Trust.

Read more »

Panera Bread opened today in Christiansburg. It is the bread and café restaurant chain’s first New River Valley location, and it comes on the heels of two that have opened in the Roanoke Valley since July 2006.

But this new eatery, at 2610 N. Franklin St., sports a feature that other Virginia Panera Breads may not have. It has a drive-through.

Rick Postle, owner of Blue Ridge Bread, a franchise group that owns Panera Breads in other parts of Virginia, said he expects to open more locations for the restaurant in the New River Valley and possibly, in other parts of Southwest Virginia. Blue Ridge Bread owns the Panera Breads in the Roanoke Valley.

He said other new Panera Breads may have drive-throughs, but the feature is more feasible at restaurant locations with stand-alone buildings.

Panera Bread is based in Missouri, and it has 1,137 locations nationwide under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. name.

The photo was taken by Roanoke Times photographer, Stephanie Klein-Davis, at a Roanoke area Panera Bread.