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A new eatery is set to land in the former home of Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Salem. Posted signs reveal that Baja Bistro Fresh Mex Grille is making plans to open in this retail center on West Main Street.

I also found a job ad here for Baja Bistro's new Salem location.

I haven't yet heard back from the Baja Bistro owner, but once I do, I'll fill you in on the details about this new restaurant. At one time, Greg Caldwell, a Roanoke area franchisee for Baja Bistro, was considering opening the restaurant at Keagy Village in Southwest Roanoke County.

For those of you following Ukrop's Super Market's financial troubles at its Roanoke store, you may be interested to know that this grocer plans to close one of its Williamsburg stores. According to this story, Ukrop's will close its Lightfoot store at the Williamsburg Marketcenter.

Bobby Ukrop, president and chief executive officer of Ukrop's, said earlier this month that the Roanoke Ukrop's needs more business to ensure its survival. Starting in late November, the grocer sent a letter and coupons to local customers to pump up traffic at its Roanoke store, which opened in 2007.

Happy New Year's Eve! I hope that your final week of this holiday season has been merry.

I'm back in the office today and catching up on all of the retail news from the past few days.

Here's a cool update: Cold Stone Creamery's new Roanoke shop is set to open next week.

Franchise owner, Jamey Elder, told me that this global ice cream chain, headed for Valley View Boulevard, will open its doors next week, though the exact day is tentative. Count on the shop being open by Jan. 10, which is its scheduled grand opening.

On grand opening day, there will be a drawing for five people to win free ice cream for a year. Also, the price of all ice cream cakes will be discounted by $5.

The Cold Stone store will open from 10 a.m. to midnight on Jan. 10. These hours are slightly different from its normal hours, which are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1 to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

The new Roanoke Cold Stone is located in a strip center beside the International House of Pancakes and near Target. Elder, a Lynchburg resident, also owns Cold Stone locations in Danville and Christiansburg.

Do you like shopping at a mall? By now, you're likely tired of any kind of shopping, on the heels of this busy holiday season.

Check out this report that discusses consumers' dissastisfaction with shopping malls because they believe that these centers all look the same. The report is based on a survey by the Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Verde Group, a research group.

According to the report, shoppers believe that enclosed and outdoor malls are boring because they all contain the same chain stores and restaurants. Consumers also complained that some shopping malls do not have enough restaurant variety.

The report refers to malls as once "modern wonders," with attractive features, such as children's rides, water fountains and food courts.

What do you think? Do you enjoy mall shopping or are you uninspired by a mall's sameness, highlighted in this report?

The day after Christmas starts the annual surge on returns for those holiday gifts that are the wrong size, the wrong color or just plain unsuitable. We all have stories about our worst Christmas gifts.

There's good news for those of you who find yourself in one of the long gift return lines today or this weekend. Retailers are adjusting their polices this year to make it easier on you to return an undesirable Christmas gift.

A survey by the National Retail Federation found that 52 percent of retailers planned to offer more lenient return polices during this year's holiday. In past years, return policies have tightened so this is a definite change from other Christmas seasons.

"As retailers grapple with a struggling economy, providing great customer service remains a top priority," said NRF president and chief executive officer, Tracy Mullin, in a news release. "Retailers will make sure they have extra staff available to assist with holiday returns this year."

Still, I wonder if having "extra staff" will mean that lines will be shorter or just as long as in year's past!

Also, are you one of those gift givers who includes a gift receipt with your presents? Nearly 60 percent of consumers surveyed by the NRF said they include a gift receipt some of the time. I've been trying to include gift receipts more often, particularly if I am giving clothing.

Also, remember, to resist the urge to open a gift until you've decided whether to return it. Providing the original packaging gives you a better chance that a retailer will take your gift back, according to the NRF.

Good luck out there! And if you're brave, tell me about the worst Christmas gift that you ever have received and whether or not you were able to exchange it.

I've donated some unexchangable gifts at thrift stores in the past, though this year, I may try to get cash back at stores that will buy unwanted clothing and accessories.

Merry Christmas! I hope your day is full of joy and merriment.

In the midst of much of the depressing retail news this holiday season, here's a good news story. With the rise of people making homemade gifts this year to save money, craft retailers, such as Michaels Stores and Jo-Ann Stores, are reporting sales increases, according to this New York Times story.

It seems that do-it-yourself Christmas gifting is a trend this year. Did you receive any homemade gifts today or this holiday season?

If you’re still hunting for Christmas gifts, you’re officially a very last minute holiday shopper!

Many malls have shorter hours today and other retailers will close their doors earlier than usual. Be aware of the following opening hours if you’re headed to one of these regional shopping centers.

Valley View Mall (Roanoke): 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tanglewood Mall (Roanoke County): 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
New River Valley Mall (Christiansburg): 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
River Ridge Mall (Lynchburg): 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Also, if you're in the mood for bargaining, Christmas Eve likely is your best time to get a great deal, since it's crunch time for retailers to move items off shelves. Check out this interesting story about how more shoppers are haggling for lower prices on holiday gifts this year.

If you have tried to negotiate for a deal this season, let me know how it worked out for you.

Add Kingery Brothers Country Store in Roanoke County to your list of local retailers that are closing or changing hands.

Today is the last day that this nearly 30-year family owned and operated enterprise on U.S. 220 will be open under the Kingery name. Wayne and Randy Kingery, co-owners of the convenience store that houses a deli serving homemade chili, macaroni and cheese, homegrown pork and other fresh meats, are retiring from the retail business. They still will operate Kingery Brothers Excavating.

The Kingery store, where many members of the family have worked, has been a gathering place for the community for years.

A new owner will take over this small store in January, according to Robin Barker, who is office manager for the Kingery store and for the family's excavating business. She's also Wayne Kingery's daughter.

The new owner is Thomas Milton, Barker told me, but additional details about the store under his operation are unclear. He could not be reached for comment.

Barker said the store still will have a deli, though it won't be serving homemade Kingery foods. Its new name will be The Store, she said.

The Kingery family is leasing the property to Milton.

Barker called the ownership change "bittersweet."

"We would really like to thank all of our loyal customers," she said. 

She added that it's time for the Kingery family "to take a break" from running the store.

Today is the last day in business for a downtown Roanoke seed shop. Pat Agnew is closing Agnew Seed on Market Street. The shop opened in 1897.

But since July, the well-known seed shop that sells seed products and gardening supplies has been a troubling place for Agnew. Kent Agnew, her husband and the owner, was found dead in the store in July.

"It's got bad memories in here," Pat Agnew told me. "I don't feel like running it anymore."

She began helping her husband at the seed shop in 1998, after she retired from a career as a nurse.

After his death, she closed Agnew Seed and reopened it in September on a part-time basis.

Pat Agnew said she's ready to be free of running the business and have more time to spend with her grandchildren and her mother.

She owns the building that houses Agnew Seed, and she's in the process of finding a buyer. It's unclear if a new owner will reopen the seed business. Some potential buyers have expressed interest in running the shop, though the future of this historic storefront is unknown.

Another Market Street retailer is shutting its doors this month. Rita Bruffey, who owns Good Things on the Market, is retiring and closing her candy and gift shop after 23 years in business. Read more about it in my Sunday retail column.

The above photo was taken by Roanoke Times photographer Jeanna Duerscherl.

It's four days until Christmas, and retailers are hoping that you haven't finished your shopping and spending. Some national chains that do not typically pull 24-hour days are keeping their doors open at all hours through Christmas Eve.

They include Macy's and Toys R Us, according to this Wall Street Journal story.

Sorry night owls. The Roanoke locations for these chains aren't included in the all day and night shopping sprees.

Macy's has opened 13 stores in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Northern Virginia and Detroit for 24 hours until Dec. 24, when they all will close at 6 p.m.  Some began these all day shopping sprees on Dec. 19, for a total of 132 straight hours through Christmas Eve.

The department store chain opened its first 24-hour store during the holiday season in 2006. Last year, Macy's added more 24-hour stores.

This year, Macy's at Tyson's Corner in McLean joined the all day and night party.