Spectators gather around the newly lit Christmas tree during the beginning of Dickens of a Christmas. Roanoke Times file photo

Dozens of stores in downtown Roanoke and Salem are extending their hours on Fridays for the holiday shopping season. (Scroll down for a list of stores).

Downtown Roanoke stores will stay open later on Fridays starting this week to coincide with Dickens of a Christmas, said Downtown Roanoke Inc. spokesman Matthew Klepeisz.

The organization last year encouraged retailers to extend their holiday hours on Thursday nights and the city offered free parking at its garages to entice shoppers. But the hours didn’t catch on with consumers.

“We didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of productivity with the extended hours” last year, Klepeisz said.

This year, Downtown Roanoke Inc. decided to focus its money and marketing on Dickens, when thousands of people jam downtown for holiday activities. (You can read more on Dickens of a Christmas events here).

Stores along Main Street in Salem will also stay open later on Friday nights as part of “Salem Til 9.” For more on Salem Til 9, click here to see So Salem’s blog post.

Stores in downtown Roanoke that will have extended hours include:

• 1st and 6th, 617 S. Jefferson Street
• 202 Market, 202 Market Square
• 310 Rosemont 312 Market Street
• Alejandros Mexican Grill, 127 Campbell Avenue
• Alexander’s, 105 Jefferson Street
• Allsports Café, 32 Market Square
• Antique Blue, 12 Campbell Avenue SE
• Appalachia Press, 108 E. Salem Avenue
• Awful Arthur’s Seafood, 108 Campbell Avenue
• Azar Jeweler, 302 Market Street
• Bayou Snowballs, 32 Market Square
• Beamer’s 25, 357 Salem Avenue
• Benny Marconis, 120 Campbell Avenue
• Billy’s, 102 Market Street
• Blue Ribbon Boutique, 208 Market Street
• Blue 5, 312 Second Street
• Blues BBQ, 107 Market Square
• Calhoun & Kipp, 216 Market Street
• Chocolate Paper 308-3, Market Street
• Christy’s Apparel & Accessories, 312 Jefferson Street
• City Bliss Market Café, 22 Campbell Avenue SE
• Corned Beef & Company, 107 S. Jefferson Street
• Cornerstone Bar and Grill, 24 Campbell Avenue
• Davidson’s, 412 Jefferson Street South
• Ernie’s, 210-B Market Street
• EuroBakery, 32 Market Square
• Firefly Fare, 32 Market Square
• Flanary’s, 303 S. Jefferson Street
• Fork in the City, 551 Marshall Ave.
• Fork in the Market, 32 Market Square
• Frankie Rowland’s Steakhouse, 104 S. Jefferson Street
• Frogurt, 118 B Campbell Avenue SW
• Gone Co Co Boutique, 302 Market Street
• Habana Café, 32 Market Square
• Hong Kong Restaurant, 32 Market Square
• Horizon Bar & Grill, 215 Market Street
• Hotel Roanoke and Pine Room Pub and Regency Room, 110 Shenandoah Avenue
• La De Da, 102 E. Church Avenue Candy
• Ladles & Linens, 305 Market Street Free food samples
• LinDor Arts, 304 First Street
• Lucky Restaurant, 18 Kirk Avenue
• Macado’s, 120 Church Avenue
• Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill, 413 1st Street SW
• Metro!, 14 East Campbell
• Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea, 117 Campbell Avenue
• NAWAB Indian Cuisine, 18A Campbell Avenue
• Native Grace, 308 Market Street
• New York Subs, 32 Market Square
• Norah’s Café, 110 Salem Avenue
• On the Rise, 303 Market Street
• One Block East, 128 East Campbell Avenue
• Orvis, 19 Campbell Avenue
• Penny Deux Lounge, 611 Jefferson Street
• Polished by Claire V., 212 Market Street
• Queso Southwestern Grill, 32 Market Square
• Roanoke Weiner Stand, 25 Campbell Avenue
• R.T. Smith’s Fine Delicatessen, 10 Campbell Avenue Southeast
• Sam’s on the Market, 304 Market Street
• Sarah’s Place, 611 Jefferson Street South
• Sidewinder’s Steakhouse & Salon, 16 West Campbell Avenue
• Sumdat Farm, 209 A Market Street
• Table 50, 309 Market Street
• Texas Tavern, 114 West Church
• The Gift Niche, 101 Market Square
• The Quarter, 19 Salem Avenue
• Thai Continental Cuisine, 106 Market Street
• Thelma’s Chicken and Waffle, 315 Market Street
• Villages of Africa, 307 Market Street Southeast
• Walkabout Outfitters, 301 Market Street
• Wasabi’s, 214 Market Street

Stores in Salem participating in Salem Til 9 include:

• Tinkerings, 4 E. Main St.
• Rena’s on Main, 18 E. Main St.
• Countryside Classics (limited evenings), 120 E. Main St.
• Plantagenet Rose, 16 S. College Ave.
• Grandma’s Attic, 6 W. Main St.
• One Step Above Boutique, 208 E. Main St.
• Gypsy Palooza, 17 Broad St.
• Hidden Treasures Consignment Boutique, 109 E. Main St.
• Cornerstone Country Collectables, 114 E. Main St.
• Kidstuff, 17 W. Main St.
• She’s International, 112 E. Main St.
• Recon Tattoo, 125 E. Main St.

Did you do your holiday shopping from the comfort of your computer? It seems many did.

Online sales from November to the end of December hit $37.2 billion, a 15 percent increase over last year’s holiday sales and an all-time season high, according to research company comScore.

Cyber Monday brought in $1.2 billion in sales, up from $1 billion in 2010. It was the single day with the most sales.

ComScore reported that consumers were lured by free shipping, which was offered on more than half of all purchases. (Free Shipping Day, on Dec. 16, accounted for $1 billion in sales).

That’s good news for online retailers, and for FedEx and the United Postal Service.

Those companies hired more workers this year than last year, and expect to handle many returns throughout this month, according to this New York Times story.

If you still have some holiday shopping to do, keep in mind that on Friday you’ll be able to get free shipping (with delivery by Christmas) from nearly 2,000 retailers as part of Free Shipping Day.

Free Shipping Day came about four years ago. It is estimated that last year shoppers spent nearly $1 billion on Free Shipping Day, more than what was spent online on Black Friday 2010.

You’ll find a variety of retails participating, including several that we don’t have access to here in Southwest Virginia, such World Market, Cabela’s, Designer Warehouse Shoes and Sephora. For a full list of participating retailers, click here.

The details of each retailer’s free shipping offer won’t be revealed until Friday, but beware that in the past they’ve included minimum purchase amounts and other restrictions.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for online on Friday, some retailers have extended their deadlines giving you until Dec. 20 to place your orders for a Christmas delivery, according to the National Retail Federation.

And if you’re a big-time procrastinator, about 22 percent of online retailers will offer two-day shipping through Dec. 22, while 30 percent will offer overnight shipping through Dec. 23, according to the NRF.

Happy Monday.

How did you make out this Black Friday weekend with your holiday shopping? Are you turning to the Internet to shop today?

On this Cyber Monday, I bring you these tips from the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia.

Top Ten Cyber Monday Tips for Staying Safe When Shopping Online

The most popular day to shop online is fast approaching…be prepared.

November 23, 2011 – Roanoke, VA – Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, has officially replaced Black Friday as the most popular day to shop for the holidays. Shopping online means avoiding the crowds, but it also opens up the buyer to attacks from scammers and hackers.

Every year, more people head online rather than to the mall to get their holiday shopping done. According to a preliminary shopping survey, conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch, up to 152 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), higher than the 138 million people who planned to do so last year. According to the survey, 74 million people say they will definitely hit the stores and another 77 million are waiting to see if the bargains are worth braving the cold and the crowds.

“The convenience and ease of shopping online is great, but online shopping has its own set of risks”, said Julie Wheeler, President & CEO of the BBB Serving Western Virginia.  “Taking steps to avoid the fraud online will result in a much happier holiday for everyone—except, of course, for scammers and hackers.”
BBB recommends the following top 10 tips for shopping online this holiday season to help fight unscrupulous online retailers, scammers and hackers:

1. Protect your computer – A computer should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a secure firewall.

2. Shop on trustworthy websites – Shoppers should start at www.bbb.org to check on the seller’s reputation and record for customer satisfaction. It’s a good idea to look for the BBB logo and other widely-recognized seals on retailer websites, but make sure they are real (some rogue sites plagiarize seals to look legitimate).

3. Protect your personal information – BBB recommends taking the time to read the site’s privacy policy and understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used. If there isn’t one posted, take that as a red flag that personal information may be sold to others without permission.

4. Beware of deals that sound too good to be true – Offers on websites and in unsolicited e-mails can often sound too good to be true, especially extremely low prices on hard-to-get items. Consumers should always go with their instincts and not be afraid to pass up a “deal” that might cost them dearly in the end.

5. Beware of phishing – Legitimate businesses do not send e-mails claiming problems with an order or an account to lure the “buyer” into revealing financial information. If a consumer receives such an e-mail, BBB recommends picking up the phone and calling the contact number on the website where the purchase was made to confirm that there really is a problem with the transaction.

6. Confirm your online purchase is secure – Shoppers should always look in the address box for the “s” in https:// and in the lower-right corner for the “lock” symbol before paying. If there are any doubts about a site, BBB recommends right-clicking anywhere on the page and select “Properties.” This will let you see the real URL (website address) and the dialog box will reveal if the site is not encrypted.

7. Pay with a credit card – It’s best to use a credit card, because under federal law, you can dispute the charges if you don’t receive the item. Your also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on your credit card, and many card issuers have “zero liability” policies under which the card holder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it. If you are going to shop on classifieds web sites like Craigslist, never wire money and only buy locally where you can see the item before you hand over your money.

8. Keep documentation of your order – After completing the online order process, there may be a final confirmation page or the shopper might receive confirmation by e-mail – BBB recommends saving a copy of the web page and any e-mails for future reference and as a record of the purchase.

9. Check your credit card statements often – Don’t wait for paper statements; BBB recommends consumers check their credit card statements for suspicious activity by either calling credit card companies or by looking at statements online regularly.

10. Know your rights – Federal law requires that orders made by mail, phone or online be shipped by the date promised or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days. If the goods aren’t shipped on time, the shopper can cancel and demand a refund. There is no general three-day cancellation right, but consumers do have the right to reject merchandise if it’s defective or was misrepresented. Otherwise, it’s the company’s policies that determine if the shopper can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.

For more advice on staying safe online this holiday season, and to see reports on thousands of online retailers, go to www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-holiday/.

If you need more information, contact the BBB at (540) 342-3455 or (800) 533-5501. You can also visit www.bbb.org.  Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/BBB_WesternVA.

The scene at Target on Black Friday 2010. File photo by Kyle Green

It’s almost Thanksgiving Day, which this year is also the start of Black Friday.

I hope that if you’re planning to do some shopping Thursday you first relax with your loved ones and, of course, feast on some great food and think about what you have to be grateful for.

I would like to thank you for reading The Storefront, and for sharing your thoughts and opinions about the topics presented here.

If shopping is in your plans on Thursday, you’ll likely be lining up at Toys R Us, which opens at 9 p.m., and Walmart, which opens at 10 p.m. Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Best Buy and others at midnight. We’ll have a more complete list of store hours  in Thursday’s newspaper. Also, Shoptimist Rebecca Holland has Black Friday shopping tips on her blog today.

I’ll be positioned at Toys R Us when it opens on Thursday to begin our Black Friday coverage. You can check back here Thursday night and early Friday morning for updates, or follow me on Twitter: @amandacodispoti.

If you’re planning to do some shopping on Thursday or Friday please send us your updates, too! I’m interested to know how this year compares to previous years because of the earlier-than-ever openings. Did it change the way you plan your shopping?

Shop differently.

That’s the message behind the local shopping campaign that Downtown Roanoke Inc. and the City of Roanoke announced this morning at a new conference.

The “Shop Differently” campaign encourages local shopping because it is good for the local economy and, well, it is different.

You get a different shopping experience, a different product, and a different brand when you shop locally, said Sean Luther, president of DRI.

To encourage shoppers to go downtown, many merchants will extend their Thursday hours until 9 p.m. (You can find a complete list of participating merchants here). The city is offering free parking on Thursdays after 4 p.m. at the Towers, Market and Center in the Square garages. Parking at all city lots and garages is free on Black Friday.

DRI also announced new events for this year’s Dickens of a Christmas. You can read more about those details (including manmade snow!) here.

I’m sure that like me, many of you have a family member of friend whose gift requires a lot of thinking.

That’s what makes gift giving fun, but it’s also challenging. What do you give the person who seems to have everything and asks for nothing?

When I moved to Virginia from Ohio shopping for gifts became much easier.

That’s because I realized I could introduce my father to Virginia wines, buy locally crafted jewelry for my mother and wrap up a Texas Tavern T-shirt for my brother. Another favorite is locally made jams and apple butter for stocking stuffers.

Every holiday season (and in between), I go back to our locally owned shops to see what piece of Roanoke I can wrap up and take home.

Buying from our locally owned stores has several benefits. In the context of gift giving, you’re giving your loved ones something they can’t get anywhere else. It’s also great because it supports our local retailers.

Retailers in downtown Roanoke, downtown Salem and in Floyd are benefiting from events to drive consumers to their stores.

In Roanoke, Dickens of a Christmas begins Dec. 2 with the city’s tree lighting. (Let’s not forget that there are plenty of locally owned stores outside of downtown Roanoke and in Roanoke County).

You might have read that Salem recently announced its downtown shops would extend their Friday hours until 9 p.m. for the holiday season. (So Salem has photos of the first “Salem Till 9″ event).

And in Floyd, an alternative private school is partnering with the town’s shops to encourage consumers to shop locally.The shops, in turn, have made a donation to Blue Mountain School. And consumers not only have the satisfaction of supporting their local economy, but they also have an opportunity to win prizes.You can find more information about the school’s fundraiser, including a list of participating stores, here.

And of course, Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday, promotes shopping locally.

What is on your shopping list this holiday season, and which local stores will you visit for those items? What locally sourced gifts have you given or do you plan to give? Maybe we can all swap some ideas!

Angered by earlier-than-ever Black Friday store openings, employees and consumers are lashing out at retailers.

The latest store to announce a Thanksgiving Day opening was Toys R Us, which will open at 9 p.m. Walmart will begin its sales at 10 p.m., followed by a midnight opening at Kohl’s, Target, Best Buy and Macy’s.

One Target employee, Anthony Hardwick, started a petition on Change.org asking that the retailer change its opening to 5 a.m. on Friday.

“A midnight opening robs the hourly and in-store salary workers of time off with their families on Thanksgiving Day,” Hardwick wrote on the petition. “A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation — all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night’s rest on Thanksgiving!”

Nearly 98,000 people had signed the online petition when I checked this this morning.

According to a recent survey by Consumersearch.com, 87 percent of those surveyed said they believe all retailers should be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Another 61 percent said that giving employees the day off to spend with their families makes them think more highly of the retailer.

What’s your take? Do you think stores should be closed on Thanksgiving? Do you think more highly of retailers that are closed? Have the Thanksgiving Day openings made you think twice about whether to shop, or will you be there regardless?

P.S. Head over to Shoptimist Rebecca Holland’s blog to share your Black Friday shopping tips.

Ready to start your holiday shopping?

The Stocked Market, a bazaar of foods, crafts, jewelery, clothing and more, starts today at the Roanoke Civic Center.

I’ll be there Saturday afternoon with food writer Lindsey Nair to help sell The Roanoke Times’ 125th anniversary cookbook, “Flavors of Home.” Proceeds from the cookbook benefit Roanoke Area Ministries. Lindsey has more details on the cookbook here.

The Stocked Market, in its 23rd year, is put on by the Junior League of Roanoke Valley to raise money for their community programs.

Where: Roanoke Civic Center

Hours: Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Flavors of Home” sales: Saturday only, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Roanoke Area Ministries booth

Tickets: $8 in advance; $9 at the door; children 12 and younger, free. Tickets may be purchased at Ferguson, Holiday Inn Valley View, Hometown Bank locations, Pure Spa and the Junior League office or website.

Update

Walmart released its ad at midnight. Click here to see it.

Click here to see Old Navy’s ad.

Click here to see RadioShack’s ad.

Click here to see Dick’s Sporting Goods’ ad.

Click here to see Best Buy’s ad.

End update

We’re two weeks out from Thanksgiving, when we’ll get to feast our eyes on stacks of Black Friday ads.

You don’t have to wait to see some of the ads, though.  Several Black Friday websites have already posted ads from JC Penney, Kohl’s, and Sears (click the store names to see the ads). I expect to see more ads leaked the closer we get to Black Friday.

Also taking away from the suspense of Black Friday deals are several retailers that are having Black Friday-like sales in advance of the year’s busiest shopping day.

Walmart, for instance, held a Super Saturday sale last weekend on toys and electronics. The company has also promised to leak Black Friday sale information to customers who have signed up to received emails.

Other retailers are having early sales include Lowe’s and Amazon.com, which is posting Black Friday deals on its site every day.

Store hours

Several more stores have announced their Black Friday hours.

Best Buy announced this week that it has decided to open at midnight Friday, joining the ranks of Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s.

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn was quoted in news articles saying that he didn’t want to open the stores so early, but felt pressured from the competition. He noted that it will change Thanksgiving plans for Best Buy’s employees.

Here’s a list of store openings:

10 a.m p.m.: Walmart begins sales on video games, bicycles, DVDs, toys, bedding, small appliances and more.

12 a.m.: Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, Macy’s

3 a.m.: Belk

4 a.m.: JC Penney, Sears

5:30 a.m.: RadioShack