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Christmas is over, and you’re likely still cleaning up leftover gift wrap and storing away new presents.
By now, you also may have ventured out to stores to return some of the gifts that you do not want.

Even today, some Roanoke area shopping centers appeared to be bustling with people who have taken the week off from work to nab after-Christmas deals, return items or spend prized gift cards. The National Retail Federation reported in a survey last month that people are returning less gifts each year because of the popularity of gift cards.

But retailers’ return polices are becoming stricter by the year. Check out this story for specifics.

Meanwhile, keep in mind a few of these tips for happy returns from Consumer Reports:
--Keep gift receipts, because they’re vital for most returns. Also, they ensure that you receive full price for the item.
--You might not get a cash refund. The refund might come in the form of a store gift card or credit.
--Do not open boxes that you want to return. Some retailers will only exchange the item for another if the package has been opened. They will not always provide a full refund.
--Ask online retailers if they’ll pay shipping charges for returns. Some e-tailers provide prepaid mailers.
--Check about returning an online purchase to a retailer’s brick and mortar store. It saves time repacking the gift and paying shipping charges.

At 10 p.m. Thursday, shoppers still were moving in between racks of clothes and accessories at Macy’s in Roanoke, hunting for gifts and good bargains. But they didn’t have to worry about the store closing.
Macy’s is open until midnight through Dec. 23, even though Valley View Mall closes at 10 p.m. Two other department stores with local locations, Belk and J.C. Penney, also are pulling midnight hours through the weekend.

The extended hours are enticing people who have waited until the latest possible minute to finish their Christmas shopping. Some locally owned stores, such as Vida Bela on Grandin Road in Roanoke, plan to be open on Sundays and other non-typical business days. Vida Bela will open this Sunday and Monday from 1 to 4 p.m. to drum up business, said owner Debra Carey. She typically closes her shop on these days.

Check out my story in this Sunday’s Roanoke Times business section to learn more last minute shopping tips and how retailers are handling the final hours leading up to Dec. 25.

I won’t be blogging for the next few days, but I’ll be back here by the middle of next week.

Have a Merry Christmas!

If you’re still wrapping up your Christmas presents, Ukrop’s Super Market is marketing its grocery bags as gift wrap.

The grocer's holiday paper bags can be turned inside out for use to wrap packages. Also, the store has left its logo off of the bag so the wrapping job won’t look odd.

I've seen people use similar items to wrap gifts, such as comics, newspaper and other brown paper bags.

Here’s a picture of the wrap. It’s not fancy, but it could do the job and be cost efficient.

Four days until Christmas, and you're likely finishing up shopping or preparing for holiday gatherings.

Perhaps you're also thinking about how great you’d look in a red sweater, now 50 percent off, or watching football games next week on a shiny--and discounted--flat screen television?

Some retail analysts attributed strong November sales, which rose 5.1 percent from last year, not only to people who have bought gifts for others but to those who bought themselves a gift as well.

“The consumers take advantage of these holiday promotional offers to spend additional things on themselves,” said Phil Rist, with BIG Research, an Ohio firm, during a briefing about holiday sales last week with the National Retail Federation.

The NRF actually breaks out the amount of money that the average person spends self-shopping each holiday. In 2006, the average person spent $99.22 on themselves, the group reported.

What about you?

Saving money for Christmas has changed over time.

I wrote last month about diminishing layaway services at some retailers. But there is another form of holiday savings that slowly is going away --Christmas Club accounts.

Most banks used to offer Christmas Clubs. They allow a customer to set aside a certain amount of money regularly, such as each month, for most of the year. In October or November, the bank sends the customer a check for the amount of money they saved. And that’s what people used to pay for Christmas gifts each year.

Now, people use credit cards to pay for everything in their lives. Most large banks no longer have Christmas Clubs, yet they may offer savings accounts with similar conditions.
Here’s a recent story about Christmas Clubs in the Raleigh News & Observer.

I tracked down a local bank that still offers Christmas Clubs. It’s Carter Bank & Trust, based in Rocky Mount. This bank has had Christmas Club accounts since the bank was formed in the 1970s, and they still are popular, said Bill Wells, a senior vice president at Carter Bank & Trust.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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.