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If you’ve cleared out of yesterday’s snow, keep in mind that tomorrow at 11 a.m. the former owners of Billy's Ritz in downtown Roanoke are trying to get rid of restaurant equipment, furniture and accessories. There will be an auction at the former eatery on Salem Avenue.

Betsy and John Williams are selling Victorian furnishings, display racks, plants and items from their neighboring gourmet cheese shop. Dec. 31 was their last day in business.

If you want to preview any of the items before the auction, you can make an appointment by calling 342-3937. Previewing will be allowed up to two hours before the sale. The sold items must be removed by Jan. 27.

A new buyer has purchased the former Billy’s Ritz location. A large sold sign is plastered on the restaurant’s windows. I’m still trying to confirm who the new buyer is, though there have been plenty of rumors.

Who bought a new sled today? Today's snow likely sent people heading for the area’s hills and slopes for some significant sleigh riding activity.

But demand for sleds has been lagging at area retailers. Some have pent-up supplies for these winter toys, because sleds weren’t in huge demand last year --or the year before. Winters in the Roanoke Valley have been mild for the past several years. Who wants to buy a new sled when we may only have four inches of the white stuff a year?

This mild weather also is impacting the quantity of cold weather supplies, such as shovels and salt, that retailers decide to stock on shelves each winter.

With less snow in various pockets of the country, “if there’s no need to ramp up the stock, than we don’t,” said Anibal Sepulveda, a spokesman for Home Depot, based in Atlanta. “I think basically there is a correlation between stock and weather conditions in this case.”

Read my story in tomorrow’s Roanoke Times about how milder winter temperatures in the last several years are impacting sales of sleds and other snowy equipment.

Speaking of stocking up, why do people rush to the grocery store for only bread and milk when snowstorms are looming? And who would have thought that another popular item around the time of a snowstorm is bagged ice? That's according to Kroger spokesman Carl York.

Get your shopping done quickly. Tanglewood Mall just announced that it's also closing at 5 p.m. today because of the winter weather.

Heading out to stores today could be a challenge.

Of course, most of the grocery stores and service-related businesses are open, but call before heading out to a local mom-and-pop retailer. Many of those stores will close when the weather is bad.

Valley View Mall just announced that it’s closing today at 5 p.m. I’ll let you know other mall updates as I hear them.

There’s a lot of looking back in the retail industry, so I thought I’d reflect on some sales numbers that came out Tuesday from the National Retail Federation and the Commerce Department.

In the next month, you likely will see an increased number of sales and promotions at the nation’s retailers that are aimed at moving items off stores shelves quicker. It’s because holiday sales weren’t too bright in 2007.

The NRF said sales in November and December rose less than the organization forecasted. It expected sales to jump 4 percent during the holiday, compared with the year earlier. But sales only rose 3 percent to a total of $469.9 billion.

Economic pressures from a variety of sources, such as housing and high energy costs, are some reasons that consumers spent less, the NRF reported.

December’s retail sales reported by the Commerce Department also were down, finishing off the weakest year for sales since 2002. Consumers cut back on spending by .4 percent in December, compared with November.
Sales of clothing, accessories and goods at electronics and appliance stores were hit the hardest. Some bright spots were health and personal care stores and general merchandise retailers.

If you were to wrap up the holiday spending season from your own perspective, what would you say about it?

Clean out your closets. Since it's the new year, many people are resolving to get more organized and to clear out what they no longer need. Here's an extra incentive.

Teenage retail chain Aeropostale, along with Do Something, a non-profit organization, are asking people to donate used jeans to teens who are homeless.

From Jan. 22 to Feb. 10, consumers can bring any brand of gently-worn pairs of jeans to Aeropostale locations. The jeans will be given to a local teen shelter or a charity that helps homeless youth. Aeropostale has a store at Valley View Mall in Roanoke.

Aeropostale will give you something in return for your donation. It's a 20 percent discount on a new pair of jeans at the store.

More retailers are advertising that they care about the environment.
I learned recently of a local example of this at Ukrop’s Super Market. If you bring a reusable bag or your own paper bag with you to transport your groceries from the store, you can receive a 5-cents credit on your total bill. Also, for 99 cents, Ukrop’s sells mesh, reusable grocery bags.

Sure, a 5-cents credit doesn’t add up to large savings, but every little bit helps. Also, the reusable bags have been a hit. Ukrop’s has sold about 80,000 since September, when it started offering them, according to the grocery retailer.

Green initiatives are taking center stage this week during the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York City. On the agenda are a number of retailers that are sharing the environmentally-sound practices that they incorporate. The retailers include Wal-Mart, L.L. Bean and Kohl’s.

As a consumer, what do you think of these green initiatives? Does a retailer's environmentally-friendly focus draw you to shop there?

It has been a busy day for retail news.
A&N Stores, based in Richmond, said today that it will close its 48 stores in Virginia. That includes three in the Roanoke Valley and one in Christiansburg.

The retailer cited competition with big box stores as a reason for its financial decline. A&N sells casual apparel and footwear primarily. Right now, all of its merchandise is discounted by 60 percent. It’s unclear when its stores will close.

In the Roanoke Valley, A&N has locations on Towne Square Boulevard in Roanoke, Electric Road in Roanoke County and West Main Street in Salem. Its Christiansburg store is on Market Street

Also, Matthew’s Hallmark is closing its store at Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke.

Earlier this week, much of its merchandise was discounted by 75 percent. But the selection was disappearing fast, so head there quickly so you don't miss out on deals on leftover gifts, candles and some holiday items.

The store is slated to close by the end of this month unless it sells out of merchandise sooner.

Happy shopping and have a good weekend!

A new Save-A-Lot grocery store planned for Melrose Avenue in Roanoke will open its doors on Feb. 13.

The grocery company, based in Missouri, just announced that Rett Ward, who also owns Tinnell’s Finer Foods in South Roanoke, will be the owner of the new Save-A-Lot.

In August, when I first reported about this store coming to Roanoke, Ward only would confirm that he was involved with it in some way. Now the word is official that he will own and operate the new grocer. It will land at the Roanoke Salem Business Center, inside the former home of an Office Outlet store, a space measuring 20,000 square feet.

Compared with some of the new grocery stores to hit the Roanoke Valley in the last several years, Save-A-Lot will have a different selection and presence. The debut of Fresh Market in 2005 and Ukrop’s Super Market last June brought high-end, specialty grocery offerings, an in-store cafe and dressed up spaces serving free coffee.

Save-A-Lot, on the other hand, is described as a no-frills concept with prices that are 40 percent less than traditional grocery stores, according to the company. There are 1,200 Save-A-Lot locations nationwide.

The former site of a Mexican restaurant on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke County is being transformed into an eatery that will serve specialty coffee and other items. The windows on the building that housed El Palenque at 3334 Brambleton Ave. have been boarded up, but a new sign has appeared at the site, announcing the location as Brambleton Blend; specialty coffee, local fare and spirits.

A local resident, Rob Cantu, said recently that he has been renovating the space.

With the unveiling if the new sign, he’s likely preparing to open the business soon.
The Roanoke Valley has been inundated with new businesses tapping into the specialty coffee market. It will be interesting to see how successful this new venture will be in light of the expanding competition for coffee.