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The back-to-school season is creeping up, and everyone's looking for some kind of discount this year.

The average family with children in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade will spend less on school supplies this year, compared with last year. A family is expected to spend $548.72, which is down from $594.24 in 2008, according to the National Retail Federation.

The economy is impacting families in a major way when it comes to school-related expenditures. From cutting back on extracurricular activities or sports to buying new clothes and deciding whether to attend a public or a private school, the impacts of a poor economy on school spending are widespread, reports the NRF.

"The economy has clearly changed the spending habits of American families, which will likely create a difficult back-to-school season for retailers," said Tracy Mullin, who is president and CEO of the NRF, in a news release.

Those of you on the hunt for some back-to-school related discounts should mark your calendars for Virginia's tax-free holiday, coming up Aug. 7-9. For these three days, clothing, shoes and certain school supplies are excempt of the state's 5 percent sales tax.

The school supplies must be priced at $20 or less to be tax free. Clothing, shoes and other select items must be $100 or less to qualify.

Click here for a list of all purchases that will be tax free.

Also, some retailers often decide to make other items tax-free during this weekend and absorb the sales tax themselves. Keep your eyes on advertisements for additional tax-exempt merchandise.

Good Morning, blog readers. I have updates on two local store openings that are fast approaching.

Dunkin Donuts: The final preparations are happening this week, as the opening of Dunkin Donuts' new shop in Southwest Roanoke County draws near. This new location at Keagy Village is slated to open this Friday at 5 a.m.

2nd helpings: This new thrift shop, art gallery and cafe, operated by the Roanoke Rescue Mission, opens to the public this Monday. The cafe opens at 6:30 a.m., while the gallery and thrift shop will open at 10 a.m. 

The new Roanoke store at the Civic Mall on Williamson Road is holding a special preview night event tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m.  At the event, there will be music, food tastings, a fashion show modeling some of the apparel to be sold and a live auction.

Today, in the downtown Roanoke farmer's market area at 11 a.m. , a flood of people wearing bright pink raincoats will be handing out invitations to this preview night. By presenting your invitation you can receive free coffee, tea or a fountain drink during the preview festivities.

Proceeds from 2nd helpings' sales will benefit the Rescue Mission and its new medical clinic in particular. The non-profit wants to raise $1 million to pay for renovations to its expanded medical clinic and at the 2nd helpings' space. So far, it has raised $479,500.

Recently I found a permit for work to remodel space for a new beauty store at Valley View Mall in Roanoke.

The permit reveals that a store called Bella Beauty is making plans to open in a space on the mall's upper level, near Macy's home and children's shop. The space is labeled as UF 275, and you can find it on the mall map here.

Kendall Hurt, a Valley View spokeswoman, told me that she could not confirm Bella Beauty's opening plans. The building permit still is under review.

I don't know the details about Bella Beauty. Let me know if you've ever shopped at a Bella Beauty store.

Apparently, there's some new activity going on at Piccadilly Square on Franklin Road in Southwest Roanoke.

Driving by the retail center today, I noticed a sign hanging over a storefront entrance. It announces the name of a new restaurant, SoRo Chill & Grille. A sign on the window describes this restaurant as "South Roanoke's Neighborhood Bar & Grille." And it's "opening soon."

The sign refers visitors to this Web site, www.sorogrille.com, but the site is under construction.

I'll let you know when I find out more details about this new eatery.

Also, across from the future SoRo Chill & Grille, the windows are dark inside the former spot of Suzabella. It's obvious that this upscale women's apparel shop has moved out of the space. I don't know if the store, owned by Susan Fahrbach, has closed for good or if it has relocated.

Today is April 15, the national tax filing deadline.

To bring a little joy to Tax Day, some restaurants are giving away ice cream and gift cards for food and drinks.

Here are the details about two local Tax Day freebies:

MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery: Win a free single scoop serving of ice cream today, which the chain calls its "e-cone-omic ice cream stimulus package."

T.G.I. Friday's: Diners today will receive $5 Bonus Bites gift cards to be used for beverage and food purchases, excluding alcohol, valued at $15 to $25. Those who spend more than $25 will receive $10 gift cards. Members of the restaurant chain's frequent customer program also will get double points this month.

If you've heard of other local Tax Day freebies, let me know about them.

Lately, I've run across some local retail events coming up. Here are some dates and details:

Fleet Feet fashion show: Today at 7:30 p.m., Fleet Feet Sports in Roanoke is hosting a fashion show to celebrate six years in business. This running shop will show off some features of its spring 2009 collection of apparel and shoes by Nike, Asics, Brooks and Moving Comfort. Other showcased brands will include ISIS and Horny Toad. The event kicks off Fleet Feet's customer appreciation weekend.

Grandin Village Clean Sweep Sale: Today through Saturday, various stores in Roanoke's Grandin Village are hosting sales to celebrate the start of spring. They include 60 percent discounts on some furniture and accessories at Sam & Norah's, $3 off a gallon of paint at Harwood Paint, 20 percent off fresh arrangements and delivery at Village Flowers, and a storewide sale of 10 to 75 percent discounts at New to Me, a consignment boutique. Also, at Black Dog Salvage, through April 30, you can receive 25 percent off a purchase if you bring a donation of dog or cat food for the Roanoke Valley SPCA.

Easter Bunny appearances begin:

--Saturday at 10 a.m. at Valley View Mall in Roanoke

--March 28 at Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County

Hello, blog readers. I hope all is well with you on this rainy Sunday afternoon. I won't be blogging tomorrow, because Monday is a furlough day for The Roanoke Times.

So, here's some of the latest retail news that I've learned. Shula's 347 Grill still is headed for a Roanoke hotel, but this chain has delayed its opening by another month. This Florida-based steak, seafood and hamburger restaurant plans to open a location at the Roanoke Plaza Hotel off Hershberger Road. This hotel, formerly known as the Wyndham Hotel,  soon will become a Sheraton property. It has been undergoing renovations for at least a year for this brand transformation.

A spokesman for Shula's Steakhouses, the owner of Shula's 347 Grill, initially expected the restaurant to open its Roanoke location in late 2008. But the company later changed that forecast to November 2009. Now this eatery likely won't open until December 2009 because of construction delays, said Bill Herman, a spokesman for Shula's. The Shula's chain was founded by legendary NFL coach Don Shula.

The Roanoke Plaza Hotel currently has one restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Here's my story from last summer about the changes at this hotel.

It's not always certain that a retailer will accept gift cards during a store closing sale.

But don't worry if you're holding onto a Plan 9 Music gift certificate or store credit. You still can use them at the Roanoke Plan 9 store before March 29, its closing day.

The Richmond-based music retailer said Thursday that it will close its Roanoke store in the Grandin Village. It's also closing a Harrisonburg store this month. Here's the story with more details.

A news release from Plan 9 says gift certificates and store credits will be redeemed through the end of the liquidation sale. After the Roanoke store closes, other Plan 9 locations will honor these gift certificates and credits.

Also, Plan 9 will continue to buy CDs, DVDs and LPs at the Roanoke store until it shuts its doors.

Jim Bland, owner of Plan 9, told me Thursday that leftover inventory from the Roanoke store will be sent to the chain's four remaining stores in Richmond, Charlottesville, Williamsburg and Winston-Salem, N.C.

Another retailer joins the list of big box stores that are shutting down in the Roanoke Valley. As you've probably heard by now, Sportsman's Warehouse said today that its Roanoke store is one of 23 nationwide that will close.

There's no word yet on when the liquidation sale will start and what date these stores are expected to shut their doors for good.

I'm not certain that the closings are directly tied to dire economic times. Sportsman's Warehouse officials did not return my calls for comment about the reasons for the closings. The company's Web site only states that these stores will be liquidated to reduce bank debt.

The Roanoke Sportsman's Warehouse was short lived. It opened in November 2007 on Ferncliff Avenue, where the company built a large 48,000 square foot retail location, near Home Depot.

Check out Mark Taylor's Wild Life blog to find out more about Sportsman's Warehouse's support of local outdoors groups. And let him know what you think about this store, if you've shopped there.

I'll keep you updated as more news unfolds.

Hello, everyone! On this chilly day, here are some ways that you can get in the giving mood. Below are two opportunities for donating to good causes through local retailers.

1) Cleaning out your closet? Until Feb. 22, you can take any brand of gently worn jeans to Aeropostale stores. Aeropostale, in cooperation with DoSomething.org, will donate the jeans to a network of 500 youth shelters, which house homeless youth. Also, for donating your jeans, you'll receive 25 percent off a new pair of jeans at Aeropostale.

2) Starting tomorrow through Feb. 8, the Go Red For Women campaign is going on at Macy's, to support the American Heart Association. Dress in red while shopping at Macy's on any of these four days, and you'll receive a 20 percent discount on most of the store's regular, sale and clearance items.  If you're not wearing red, you can buy a red dress pin for $2 at Macy's and get the savings, too. Proceeds from your pin purchase benefit the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement.

This offer also applies to online shopping. Click here for more information and for a list of items excluded from the discount.