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Today I pulled up to the drive-thru at a local Starbucks, and the cashier told me the person in line in front of me had paid for my drink. She said the gesture had been going on for 10 cars before mine, and she asked if I wanted to keep it going.

Of course I wanted to continue it, so I paid the $1.80 for the person’s drink in the vehicle behind mine.

It must be the holidays that are putting people in the generous mood. And this kind of monetary act isn’t unusual at this time of year. Many people who work in the service industry report receiving larger tips during the holidays.

But this random act of kindness was inspiring. I'll consider trying it at other times of the year, not just at Christmas.

So, thanks to the person who decided to pay for a stranger’s hot beverage.

What kinds of generous acts have you noticed at shops or restaurants lately?

Not that I’m being stereotypical, but men often are procrastinators when it comes to Christmas shopping. In fact, the National Retail Federation reported today that one in five men, or 19 percent, have not begun their holiday shopping, based on a survey. That’s compared to 13 percent of women who have yet to begin.

But guys, don’t stress. Wal-Mart has come to your rescue! Recently, I found an interesting and new Wal-Mart promotion aimed at procrastinating men. The discount retail giant has created a guide to help men shop for last-minute gifts for the women in their lives, whether it’s a grandmother, mother, girlfriend, sister or wife.

At www.helpaguybuy.com, Wal-Mart takes visitors through a list of questions to determine the category in which the gift recipient falls. The choices lump women into several categories, such as women on the go, the ultimate hostess, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers and fashion fanatics.

After the category is determined, a list of gift options pops up. Of course, they are items available at Wal-Mart.

If you try out this gift guide, let me know if it's helpful at all.

Did you shop last weekend? I headed to Valley View Mall for a few hours on Saturday, but it didn’t seem to be as crowded as it has been in year’s past. I expected parking spaces to be scarce and long lines of traffic circling the Ring Road around the mall, since it was the second to last Saturday before Christmas.

Perhaps it was the looming freezing rain expected to fall late in the day on Saturday that kept people from venturing out to shop.

But my preliminary assessment appears close to what much of the nation experienced. The Associated Press reports today that the weekend’s sales were “lukewarm” across the country. Consumers in other states weathered winter storms as well.

And some analysts expect shoppers to delay their spending until next weekend, which is the weekend before Christmas. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person only had completed 36.4 percent of their holiday shopping at the end of November. So, people are guaranteed to be rushing to finish up their gift lists now.

Dec. 25 is a week and one day away. Are you done with your shopping yet?

Last month, I considered having a gift wrapped at Macy’s. But after learning the price of about $6 per package for wrapping, I decided that it would be much cheaper to do it myself.

That made me start to think about which retailers offer free gift wrap locally. For years, it seemed that gift wrapping mostly was a free service at most stores. Now it’s difficult to find a place where you don’t have to pay for it. You're lucky if a store associate hands you a free box with a purchase.

But at some locally-owned stores, such as a toy store, Imagination Station in Roanoke, gift wrapping is free. The store also has a Blacksburg location, Imagination Toys & Furniture.

This season, some local gift wrapping is taking a charitable twist. Starting this weekend and through Christmas Eve, Barnes & Noble beside Tanglewood Mall is offering free gift wrap. Most days, volunteers from local nonprofit groups are doing the wrapping and accepting donations for that particular organization. The groups volunteering this year include the Ronald McDonald House, Good Samaritan Hospice and the Wildlife Rescue.

Valley View Mall’s customer service area charges for gift wrap, but some of the proceeds will benefit the Roanoke Ballet Theater. The charge is $5 for small packages, $7 for medium sizes and $9 for larger ones.

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More news on Internet shopping…a local retailer recently made its online debut.
Christy’s Apparel & Accessories, a women’s clothing boutique in downtown Roanoke, has launched its own Web site at www.christysapparel.com.

So far, there is a limited assortment of clothing for purchase on the site, such as some jacket styles and pants. Early next year, Rosa Weeks, who owns Christy’s, said she’ll add more accessories and other products.

She said a friend helped her to design the Web site and launch it last weekend.

“I’ve had a lot people ask me if I was going to have a web site,” Weeks said. “I thought I could get people who maybe can’t come downtown.”

Slowly, more locally-owned retailers in the Roanoke Valley are launching their own Web sites, though it’s not unusual to find stores that still do not have an online presence. Time and money required to maintain a site and deal with online orders often is too much for some mom and pop stores that have be to so focused on the day-to-day retail operation.

Still, those who do venture into the online commerce world have seen a significant return. They include retailers like Claire V., which sells silk handbags, and Dandelion Feet, a shoe store in downtown Roanoke. Both are locally-based stores that regularly rely on online sales.

Free shipping deadlines are upon us. Since October, retailers have been trying to lure shoppers online to spend for the holidays.
Free shipping has been a popular draw. But time is almost up.

Barnes & Noble recently warned consumers that Dec. 18, which is less than a week away, is the last day to order books and other products online and receive free shipping. Dec. 18 also is the final date to get shipping for free at Target.

And other retailers say that time is fast approaching to order and receive items by Dec. 25. If you're ordering an item from Belk, the department store chain says that Dec. 14 by midnight is the latest for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

I was at Valley View Mall yesterday evening, talking with people about how their holiday shopping is going so far, and I ran into several people with interesting stories to share.

One woman told me that she and her family are cutting out all Christmas gifts this year. All of the children in the family are grown, so instead of buying gifts, they each plan to bring food for a family potluck dinner on Christmas Eve.

Another shopper told me that she’s going the practical route with gift-buying. She is purchasing Sheetz gift cards for some family members. Recently several grocery chains and gasoline retailers reported increases in the amount of gift cards that consumers have purchased this holiday season. Perhaps there is a trend in practical gifting this year.

I’m interested in what you may be doing to change up or cut back on your holiday budget this year, if at all.

Fuddruckers in Salem has closed. It’s unclear why the eatery known for its large hamburgers has shut its doors.

A spokesperson for Fuddruckers, based in Texas, was unavailable on Monday. Viamac, a company that owned the Western Sizzlin franchises in the Roanoke Valley, also owned the Salem Fuddruckers.

The restaurant opened in 2001 near the intersection of Electric Road and Main Street, at Lakeside Plaza.

According to online records for the Roanoke and Alleghany health districts, Fuddruckers had four health violations in October. They included soiled food contact surfaces in the kitchen, a chemical spray bottle that was unlabeled and certain openings in the kitchen that did not guard against entry of insects and other rodents.

It’s unclear if these violations are related to Fuddruckers' closing. A representative at the health district could not be reached.

Last month I wrote a story about how many retailers no longer offer layaway services to customers nowadays. Locally, you’ll only find layaway at a select few stores, such as T.J. Maxx and Kmart.

But there’s a way to use layaway online. It’s at www.elayaway.com. By going to this site, you can purchase items online and pay the bill incrementally. The item is shipped to you once full payment is received.

The site boosts at least 3.5 million products from numerous retailers, though they’re not all well-known national brands. The retailers include Comp USA, Affordable Home Electronics, Dreamtime Tykes and Summit Sports Inc.

Elayaway.com, founded in 2005, also is reporting a 67 percent increase in the number of people who registered for layaway payment on its site during the week of Cyber Monday, compared to the previous week. Cyber Monday is marketed as the Monday after Thanksgiving and a time when online shopping for Christmas purchases usually rises.

Elayway.com is based in Tallahassee, Fla.

Tonight and through the weekend Roanoke area retailers are hoping to benefit from several local events to draw holiday shoppers and pump up December sales totals.

· Dickens of a Christmas begins tonight. This is a holiday festival held in downtown Roanoke on the first three Friday evenings of December. You’ll find entertainment, food and shopping there. Many of the stores in the downtown Market area and elsewhere stay open through the evening to attract shoppers.
And this is a big money maker for them. Several retailers said recently that Dickens of a Christmas draws more business to their store than any other downtown festival throughout the year. On Wednesday, Geoff Jennings, who owns Frank L. Moose Jewelers on First Street in downtown, said he had been busy preparing for tonight’s kick-off. He’s having a sale on some jewelry at his store in honor of the occasion.

· Tonight there is a Village Christmas open house at the stores at West Village, an outdoor retail center on Electric Road in Roanoke County. The retailers here are staying open until 8 p.m. or later to accommodate shoppers, with some serving up refreshments and discounts.

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