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You have a short time left to shop a local mega selection of books at a discount.

Giant Book Sale, which set up its book shop at the former Circuit City space near Valley View Mall in April, will be open there until July 26 or July 27.  This traveling, temporary book retailer's lease ends at the end of July, according to Jeff Shawl of Galax, who is a co-owner of the Knoxville, Tenn., Giant Book Sale LLC.

This retailer will move on to Lynchburg, where it will set up its wide selection inside another former Circuit City space at 3700 Candlers Mountain Road. It's planning to stay in Lynchburg through the end of the year, Shawl told me.

At Giant Book Sale, the hardcover books sell for $4 and paperbacks are $2.

Here are a few more details about Giant Book Sale LLC, in my blog post from April.

What retailer do you think should move into this large Roanoke Circuit City space once Giant Book Sale leaves?

Hey, blog readers. I'm on vacation this week, but you'll find fresh retail news here each day. So, keep your comments coming!

It looks like downtown Roanoke is landing a new shoe store. A city permit reveals that a retailer called Sole II Soul wants to open at 133 W. Campbell Ave.  You'll see that the address listed is 131 W. Campbell Ave. This is the same location as a hair salon, the Cutting Edge, which is next door to the proposed shoe space.

But this footwear store isn't pushing out the Cutting Edge.  Both 131 and 133 W. Campbell Aves. have the same tax map number, so they're listed as the same location on these permits. Jeff Shawver, Roanoke's building commissioner, told me that the future shoe space indeed is 133 W. Campbell Ave.

Apparently, a certificate of occupancy was issued last month to Dwight Steele to open a shoe store at this vacant storefront.

I don't have the details about this store, because I haven't been able to reach the owner. I'll pass along more information after I learn the scoop.

I have some details about Food Lion's new store planned for Daleville. This grocer will open in mid to late August at Orchard Marketplace, a retail center on U.S. 220. Food Lion told me recently that the 35,000-square-foot store will be a new prototype for the company.

It's not a Bloom store, which is one of Food Lion's upscale concepts. But the new grocery store will section off certain departments into "neighborhoods," with an overall updated store design. It's one of 50 prototype Food Lion stores so far.

To the left is a picture of Food Lion's new prototype meat department, courtesy of the grocer. All of the chain's new stores will be designed with this updated look.

Check out my story in tomorrow's Business section for more details about the retailers and businesses coming to Orchard Marketplace.

Much of the week's retail news has been focused on the potential sale of Ukrop's Super Market. Of course, we're interested in how this kind of decision could impact Ukrop's Roanoke store. Thanks to all of you for sharing your opinions as this story unfolds.

With many eyes on the Roanoke Ukrop's, here's an update on the only other planned retailer for the Ivy Market center that houses this grocer. Last week, the city of Roanoke issued a certificate of occupancy to a future Walgreens store that's planned to open adjacent to Ukrop's. This means that this retail structure is in proper condition to be occupied. It's also usually the final step before a retailer opens its doors to the public.

Still, Walgreens is predicting a mid-August opening for the Roanoke store, according to Robert Elfinger, a spokesman for the Illinois-based drugstore chain.

Likely, stocking and other in-store preparations still are in the works, he told me.

This long-delayed Walgreens is supposed to open by Sept. 14 for the developer to be eligible for city tax incentives.

Sears and Kmart aren't the only retailers pushing the Christmas shopping season this summer.

Toys R Us is joining the lineup. The toy retailer is planning holiday activities for children and apparently, will begin discounting certain toys next week.

Check out this Washington Post story for the details.

The news is out that Ukrop's Super Market is seeking a buyer for its 28-store chain.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports on its Web site this evening that Richmond-based Ukrop's has issued a prospectus seeking potential buyers. It cites an online article by Food World, a grocery industry publication, which is reporting this news and attributing it to "multiple industry sources."

The grocery chains that have responded to Ukrop's prospectus are Ahold, Harris Teeter and Supervalu, according to the Food World article.

I learned the official details today about the future of the former Brambleton Blend site in Roanoke County. This cafe and restaurant will reopen under new ownership, as already mentioned by some of you on this blog.

The co-owners of Star City Coffee Co. in Salem are taking over this business, with plans to reopen it in mid-August or September as the Star City Coffeehouse.

After some renovation work at this building on Brambleton Avenue, Jon Smallwood, one of the owners, told me that he and a business partner, Ed O'Keefe, plan to open a cafe and restaurant.

There will be a "strong" breakfast menu, Smallwood said. Lunch and dinner fare will include lighter options, such as soup, sandwiches and salads. Desserts also will be served.

Brambleton Blend already brewed Star City Coffee Co.'s java, so the same organic and fair trade coffees will be available at this new cafe.

Smallwood said the former owners of Brambleton Blend approached his company about taking over the business.

"We wanted to make a nice clean start," he said.

Here's my blog post from yesterday about Brambleton Blend's closing.

I'll keep you updated as I find out more information about the Star City Coffeehouse.

The time has come for the debut of Kroger's new fuel center in Rocky Mount.

This station will open on Thursday adjacent to Kroger's store at 400 Old Franklin Turnpike. It will sport 10 gasoline lanes.

It's also the eighth Kroger fuel center in the Roanoke Valley.

Click here for my past blog post about this new center.

A Roanoke County coffee shop and restaurant is going out of business. That's according to a sign posted to the door of Brambleton Blend at 3334 Brambleton Ave.

I do not know the reasons for this apparent closure. I left a message at a phone number listed on the sign to call for more information.

In April 2008, Rob Cantu, a trained barista, opened Brambleton Blend, serving specialty coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner. The eatery focused on offering local produce and foods.

This white building with brown trim formerly housed El Palenque, a Mexican restaurant.

Click here to read a past dining review of this eatery.

It's almost mid-July, the outside temperatures are warm and people are heading for their annual beach destinations. Are you even thinking about the holidays? Retailers already are strategizing for the Christmas shopping season, and this year, that seems to be happening much earlier than usual.

Inside about 372 Sears stores nationwide, the retailer is launching Christmas Lane decor sections. You'll find this new Christmas department at the Roanoke Sears store at Valley View Mall. Additionally, the retailer has launched a Christmas Lane section on its Web site and also at Kmart.com, which is owned by Sears Holding Corp.

This is the first time that Sears has rolled out holiday merchandise this early in the year, according to the Chicago Tribune. It's an attempt by Sears to start driving holiday sales now, because of anticipated slow consumer spending this Christmas season.

Yesterday evening at the Roanoke Sears, associates still were unloading boxes and setting up the Christmas Lane shop. Ironically, it's located near the summertime patio furniture on the store's upper level.

If you're in the mood to start Christmas shopping, you'll have to act quickly if you want to browse the shelves at Sears or Kmart. Natalie Norris-Howser, a Sears spokeswoman, told me that these in-store holiday boutiques as temporary for now. They will be set up through July 25. But the Sears and Kmart Christmas Lane online shops will remain up.