December 31, 2007New year, big stealsOn New Years Day, many businesses are closed, but as some shopaholics can attest, Jan. 1 is a big day for killer sales. Malls across the area, as well as big box stores, will be open tomorrow, and you'll likely find larger discounts than last weekend. Retailers still are trying to move out winter sweaters, holiday-related ornaments and decor and most anything else that's still left on store racks. But don't wait until too late tomorrow evening to head to Valley View or Tanglewood malls. They close at 6 p.m. I'll be taking tomorrow off from blogging, but comment here on some of the sales that you find around the area. Happy New Year! Last day for Billy's RitzToday is the last day that you can dine at an upscale restaurant in downtown Roanoke. 
The Williams are in the process of selling two adjoining buildings at 10 Market St. and 102 Salem Ave. that house the restaurant and cheese shop. But John Williams said he will not yet reveal the name of the potential buyer. In August, I reported that a local person had a contract to purchase the property, according to commercial real estate firm, Poe & Cronk Real Estate. On Jan. 19, there will be an auction at the former Billy's Ritz building to sell its antiques and other furnishings. John Williams and two business partners opened the restaurant about 27 years ago. Eventually, John and Betsy Williams became the sole owners. December 28, 2007Local handbags set for the airport shopIn October, I checked out the items that are sold at the Hudson News gift shop at the Roanoke Regional Airport, and I reported that it lacked some locally-made offerings from Roanoke companies and retailers. 
Laura Bradford Godfrey, who owns Claire V., said Hudson Group Retail Specialists, a New Jersey company that operates Hudson News shops in airports nationwide, contacted her after the newspaper article was published about selling her handbags there. Recently, they worked out a few details about the arrangement, though Godfrey said she does not yet know how much space Claire V. will have inside the Hudson News shop. Wertz's Restaurant & Wine Bar shuts its doors
Crowder has had some health problems, and he said that is why he is closing Wertz's, which is located on Market Street in downtown Roanoke. But he will continue to sell produce from a booth at the city's downtown farmer’s market. Crowder’s wife, Shellie Crowder, also co-owns Little Dipper, an ice cream and food shop on Market Street. A mother and son team who own a local catering company, called Divinity Catering, plan to move into the Wertz’s space and open a restaurant there by February, Crowder said. Debbie Spangler is the president of Divinity. Crowder still owns the Wertz’s building, and he said he’s leasing the space to the new restaurateurs. And he plans to stay involved in the city’s downtown, through his produce stand and his seat on the board of directors for Downtown Roanoke Inc. “The Market is me. It’s what I am and what I’m about,” Crowder said. Stay tuned for more details about the new eatery that will open this winter in Wertz’s space. December 27, 2007Happy ReturnsChristmas is over, and you’re likely still cleaning up leftover gift wrap and storing away new presents. 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:
December 21, 2007The shopping clock is tickingAt 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. 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! Still wrapping?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. 
A gift for you, a gift for meFour 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? December 20, 2007A Christmas nest eggSaving 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. 
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. 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. December 19, 2007Panera Bread brings dough to New River Valley
But this new eatery, at 2610 N. Franklin St., sports a feature that other Virginia Panera Breads may not have. It has a drive-through. Rick Postle, owner of Blue Ridge Bread, a franchise group that owns Panera Breads in other parts of Virginia, said he expects to open more locations for the restaurant in the New River Valley and possibly, in other parts of Southwest Virginia. Blue Ridge Bread owns the Panera Breads in the Roanoke Valley. He said other new Panera Breads may have drive-throughs, but the feature is more feasible at restaurant locations with stand-alone buildings. Panera Bread is based in Missouri, and it has 1,137 locations nationwide under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. name. The photo was taken by Roanoke Times photographer, Stephanie Klein-Davis, at a Roanoke area Panera Bread. December 18, 2007Pass it on
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? Procrastinating men's guide to shoppingNot 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. December 17, 2007Lukewarm weekendDid 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? December 14, 2007Wrapped up in the cost of gift wrapLast 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. 
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. December 13, 2007Christy's debuts onlineMore news on Internet shopping…a local retailer recently made its online debut. So far, there is a limited assortment of clothing for purchase on the site, such as some jacket styles and pants. Early next year, Rosa Weeks, who owns Christy’s, said she’ll add more accessories and other products. She said a friend helped her to design the Web site and launch it last weekend. “I’ve had a lot people ask me if I was going to have a web site,” Weeks said. “I thought I could get people who maybe can’t come downtown.” Slowly, more locally-owned retailers in the Roanoke Valley are launching their own Web sites, though it’s not unusual to find stores that still do not have an online presence. Time and money required to maintain a site and deal with online orders often is too much for some mom and pop stores that have be to so focused on the day-to-day retail operation. Still, those who do venture into the online commerce world have seen a significant return. They include retailers like Claire V., which sells silk handbags, and Dandelion Feet, a shoe store in downtown Roanoke. Both are locally-based stores that regularly rely on online sales. December 12, 2007You better watch out. Online shopping deadlines are near.Free shipping deadlines are upon us. Since October, retailers have been trying to lure shoppers online to spend for the holidays. 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. December 11, 2007Gasoline cards and family potlucksI was at Valley View Mall yesterday evening, talking with people about how their holiday shopping is going so far, and I ran into several people with interesting stories to share. One woman told me that she and her family are cutting out all Christmas gifts this year. All of the children in the family are grown, so instead of buying gifts, they each plan to bring food for a family potluck dinner on Christmas Eve. Another shopper told me that she’s going the practical route with gift-buying. She is purchasing Sheetz gift cards for some family members. Recently several grocery chains and gasoline retailers reported increases in the amount of gift cards that consumers have purchased this holiday season. Perhaps there is a trend in practical gifting this year. I’m interested in what you may be doing to change up or cut back on your holiday budget this year, if at all. Fuddruckers has closed
A spokesperson for Fuddruckers, based in Texas, was unavailable on Monday. Viamac, a company that owned the Western Sizzlin franchises in the Roanoke Valley, also owned the Salem Fuddruckers. The restaurant opened in 2001 near the intersection of Electric Road and Main Street, at Lakeside Plaza. According to online records for the Roanoke and Alleghany health districts, Fuddruckers had four health violations in October. They included soiled food contact surfaces in the kitchen, a chemical spray bottle that was unlabeled and certain openings in the kitchen that did not guard against entry of insects and other rodents. It’s unclear if these violations are related to Fuddruckers' closing. A representative at the health district could not be reached. December 10, 2007Searching for layaway service? Find it online.Last month I wrote a story about how many retailers no longer offer layaway services to customers nowadays. Locally, you’ll only find layaway at a select few stores, such as T.J. Maxx and Kmart. But there’s a way to use layaway online. It’s at www.elayaway.com. By going to this site, you can purchase items online and pay the bill incrementally. The item is shipped to you once full payment is received. The site boosts at least 3.5 million products from numerous retailers, though they’re not all well-known national brands. The retailers include Comp USA, Affordable Home Electronics, Dreamtime Tykes and Summit Sports Inc. Elayaway.com, founded in 2005, also is reporting a 67 percent increase in the number of people who registered for layaway payment on its site during the week of Cyber Monday, compared to the previous week. Cyber Monday is marketed as the Monday after Thanksgiving and a time when online shopping for Christmas purchases usually rises. Elayway.com is based in Tallahassee, Fla. December 7, 2007Pumping up holiday salesTonight and through the weekend Roanoke area retailers are hoping to benefit from several local events to draw holiday shoppers and pump up December sales totals. · Dickens of a Christmas begins tonight. This is a holiday festival held in downtown Roanoke on the first three Friday evenings of December. You’ll find entertainment, food and shopping there. Many of the stores in the downtown Market area and elsewhere stay open through the evening to attract shoppers. · Tonight there is a Village Christmas open house at the stores at West Village, an outdoor retail center on Electric Road in Roanoke County. The retailers here are staying open until 8 p.m. or later to accommodate shoppers, with some serving up refreshments and discounts. December 6, 2007Ginger is backGinger Mumpower is back in business. Mumpower, who formerly owned and ran Ginger’s Jewelry stores in Roanoke and in Christiansburg, launched a new Web site for selling jewelry last month. At www.gingersjewelry.com, you’ll find two bracelets for sale. One is a commemorative Virginia Tech memorial bracelet, designed with the Virginia Tech emblem and colors. The other is a Roanoke hook bracelet, created with an R and a star. Mumpower used to sell this bracelet at her retail locations. The price for a silver Virginia Tech bracelet begins at $100, but the cost depends on the size and width that is ordered. The Roanoke bracelet costs at least $500 if you order it in gold. The price also depends on the size and width ordered. The price of the Virginia Tech bracelet also jumps if you chose the gold option, because gold prices have skyrocketed in the last year. Mumpower said she plans to introduce more bracelet designs soon that will represent other universities, such as Radford University, the University of Tennessee and West Virginia University. She also plans to add other jewelry selections in the next year. But she’s already receiving orders for the two bracelets that are available now. December 5, 2007The tradition of holiday greetings
Still, I’m one of the millions of people who send Christmas cards, though I also send e-cards (email greetings) from a variety of retailers, such as Hallmark. Here are some statistics from American Greetings and the Greeting Card Association about Christmas cards: December 4, 2007Jo-Ann Fabrics is closing one local store
But don’t worry about this crafts and fabrics supply retailer exiting the market altogether. The other area Jo-Ann Fabrics at Crossroads Mall in Roanoke is staying put, according to Karen Archer, a manager there. She said the U.S. 220 store is merging its inventory with her store. Also, some of the employees from Jo-Ann Fabrics on U.S. 220 will be transferred to the Crossroads store, Archer said. The reason for Jo-Ann Fabric’s closing is unclear. A spokeswoman with the national retailer, based in Ohio, did not return a call for comment on Monday. Jo-Ann’s had 801 stores in 47 states as of February, according to its Web site. Its stores include traditional sizes and superstores. Meanwhile, look for closing sales at the U.S. 220 Jo-Ann Fabrics through the holidays. It joins several other local retailers that are shutting down at year end or in early 2008 and are having large close-out sales. They include Bombay Co., the Orvis outlet, and John Norman Clothiers.
December 3, 2007Which toys are safe?A story in Saturday’s Roanoke Times discussed the issue of toy recalls and how it is impacting the way people shop for toys this holiday season. However, the recalls may be a reason that business has increased at some Roanoke area toy stores that do not sell the recalled toys. 
People are afraid of buying toys that are made in China because of the recalls. But consumer groups warn not to shy away from everything that is Chinese made. After all, it’s not specifically the country that is to blame. Boycotting toys from a certain country may not be the answer to finding safer toys. Here’s a helpful Web site by the Toy Industry Association that explains this and answers many other questions--www.toyinfo.org. Also, you can sign up to receive email alerts of recalled toys from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. If you have any tips for toy buying this season, share them with us. |
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