June 18, 2008A source for shipping dealsIf you’re a frequent online shopper, you know that shipping costs often drive up the price of an otherwise inexpensive purchase. Well, there’s a place where you can go to find numerous deals on shipping, from freebies to discounts at well-known retailers. It’s www.freeshipping.org. This is not a new Web site. It launched in December. But it’s a convenient way to find discounts on shipping or freebies for this service in one place. There are coupons for a host of retailers, including Old Navy, Macy’s, Sears, Kohl’s, Amazon.com and Best Buy. The drawback is that some of these coupons require you to spend a certain amount or order a specific item, such as free shipping for orders valued at $75 or more at Caribou Coffee or free shipping only on Godiva purchases at Macy’s. One of the best deals that I noticed was a free two-day shipping offer with no minimum purchase required at Amazon.com. Let me know what you think of some of these deals. June 6, 2008A free treat for National Doughnut Day
This celebration, which falls on the first Friday in June, was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army as a way to raise funds during the Great Depression, according to Krispy Kreme. It also was a chance to honor World War I Salvation Army workers who made doughnuts for soldiers. In Roanoke, Krispy Kreme is located on Melrose Avenue. May 2, 2008Shopping for a worthy causeIt’s always good to hear about sales, particularly as the weekend begins. For those of you who like to shop early in the morning, Belk is having a charity sale tomorrow from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. This four-hour shopping event benefits local charities, schools and nonprofits. But to get in, you have to buy a $5 ticket. With the ticket, you are eligible for discounts ranging from 20 to 50 percent on all store purchases, excluding cosmetics and fragrances. You’ll also receive $5 off your first purchase of $5 or more during the event. Tickets are available at Belk stores, and these donations are divided among the participating charities. April 17, 2008Buy a piece of the Hotel RoanokeLike the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center’s look? You can bring part of it to your own home, for a price of course. 
The hotel's $6.5 million renovation is the first guest room overhaul since it reopened in 1995. Last May, when the first phase of its makeover began, the hotel held a similar public sale of its furnishings. If you’re thinking of heading out to the sale this Saturday, here’s what you need to know: It will be held at 844 Union Street in Salem from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets to get in will be handed out starting at 6 a.m. The furniture is sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and you must make your own arrangements for transporting your purchases. April 15, 2008Is Tax Day happy?It’s Tax Day. You’ve either filed your federal tax returns ahead of time, or you’re like some of the hurried people I saw this morning waiting in line at the post office. 
Also, some greeting card companies have gotten into the April 15 celebration (if you can call it a day to celebrate). At online sites for Hallmark and American Greetings, you can send free tax day cards, which include a picture of an I.R.S man and one encouraging the recipient to hope for a “groovy tax return.” In my story, a marketing professor speculates about whether retailers really can turn April 15 into a happy day with sales and special offers, like with other holidays, such as President’s Day and Labor Day. What do you think?
February 29, 2008Leap Year FreebiesIf your birthday's today, it's not only a day of celebration but a day of freebies. Some restaurants and other retailers nationwide are giving away free gifts to people who were born on Feb. 29 or Leap Year. At Papa Johns, Leap Year babies can get a free large one topping pizza. The offer only is good for online orders, so here's the link if you qualify. McDonalds is giving away free McSkillet Burritos, made of scrambled eggs, sausage and potatoes, with the purchase of a medium or large drink. Let me know if you hear of other free offerings. Happy Birthday and Enjoy! January 31, 2008Wear red and saveEveryone likes an easy way to save money. So, go through your closets. 
Forget to sport red? Make a $2 donation to the American Heart Association at Macy’s accessories department, and you still can receive the discount. 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! November 6, 2007Expensive handbag stealHere’s a true deal on a luxury handbag. You can buy a $2,000 Louis Vuitton handbag for only $15--if you win a local contest. This Thursday there will be drawing for a Vuitton handbag designed by Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami. Murakami’s work is featured in an exhibit at the Art Museum of Western Virginia in Roanoke. But you have to buy the $15 raffle ticket for a chance. Tickets are being sold at the art museum and at Valley Bank locations. The Contemporaries, a social group that supports the museum, is sponsoring the raffle. The drawing will take place during the museum’s opening reception for the Painting for Joy exhibit. November 1, 2007Bombay's closing sale is underwayBombay Co.’s closing sale has begun at Valley View Mall. The store is one of more than 300 locations for this furniture retailer that is shutting down because the company filed for bankruptcy in September. The retail landscape has not been bright for furniture manufacturers and retailers nationally. Along with increased competitive pressure from imports, some companies, including Stanley Furniture Co. in Henry County, have felt pressures from the slump in the housing market, the national mortgage crisis and a lack of overall consumer confidence. On another note, today marks the first month of the Storefront blog. It's been fun so far! Send any comments or suggestions my way. October 29, 2007More Black Friday Madness!Here are more Black Friday sneak peaks. B.Moss is getting into the action. There’s already a door buster coupon posted here for the store's Black Friday sale at Valley View Mall. The deal is for 50 percent off the regular price of any one item in the store from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Nov. 23. Also, Sam’s Club recently announced that on Nov. 19, it will offer people a sneak peak of its Black Friday sales. Starting now and using your cell phone, text “Go” to “sams1” (72671) to be eligible for e-mail previews of the Nov. 23 sale items. The goods will include flat-screen televisions, electronics, jewelry and other merchandise. Putting out Black Friday ads early is a major way that retailers are trying to compete for holiday business this year. They're trying to get onto shoppers' wish lists now, even before the season is underway. October 25, 2007Free shipping!Tis the season for deals on online shopping. Some online retailers already are advertising free shipping promotions, a sign that they are trying to entice holiday shopping business even before November. If you have gifts to buy at Crate & Barrel, L.L. Bean or Target, this is as good a time as ever to make that purchase online. L.L. Bean’s free shipping offer has no strings attached. You can order any items, with no minimum purchase, through Dec. 21 and receive free shipping. Several other offers are slapped with conditions, such as Crate & Barrel’s minimum order of $100 to receive free shipping through Dec. 20. Target is running some free shipping offers on select merchandise throughout parts of the season. The latest one ends on Oct. 27. Keep looking for these free or discounted shipping offers through the end of the year. A report released Wednesday by the National Retail Federation tells consumers to expect to see these kinds of promotions throughout the season. The most common promotions offer free shipping with conditions. But other online shopping incentives may include early-bird sales and “refer a friend” promotions, according to the NRF survey. These kinds of offers drive online retailing during the holidays, but remember, it’s not free to the retailers, who have to weigh the financial impact. That’s the reason that many of these shipping deals have conditions attached. What are your holiday online shopping patterns? If you’ve taken advantage of any free shipping offers lately or in the past, tell us about the promotion and what you purchased. October 19, 2007Weekend deals for children and teen items
"I had oodles of things I was saving for no reason," said File, a Roanoke County resident. File rounded up some friends, combined their new and used teenage and children’s clothing, toys and home décor, and started a week-long consignment sale that now is held twice yearly, in October and in March. She named it Lauren’s Friends & Alex, after her children. Lauren now is 15 and Alex is 8. This month’s sale began last Saturday inside the former Sofa World building on Electric Road in Roanoke County. It lasts through Sunday. This weekend perhaps is the best time to shop. On Saturday, all items will be 50 percent off, and on Sunday, everything will be discounted 75 percent. Prices range from $1.99 to $250, and the variety includes name-brand apparel, toys, baby equipment and furniture. File, who rents the retail space for a month and a half, begins collecting items on consignment three weeks before each sale starts. Consigners receive 55 percent from the sale of their merchandise, she said. At the end of the week, consigners can take back the items that are not sold. File donates the remaining merchandise to Total Action Against Poverty, a non-profit Roanoke organization. Check out the announcement for this sale here. Also watch this Web site for more information about the March sale. October 12, 2007Black Friday ads alreadyThanks goodness it’s Friday. In honor of the end of the week, let’s take a look at some early advertisements, considered top secret, for the most popular Friday for shopping of the year—Black Friday. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving that marks the start to the holiday season. This is the day when stores run serious door buster deals for everything from apparel to computers and televisions. In recent years, some Web sites have learned of these advertisements early and published them. They're at it again this year. If you’re eager to plan your shopping course of action now, check out these Black Friday Web sites. www.blackfriday.info/ads/ So far, the sites only post the expected sales at Sears and Ace Hardware, which both have Roanoke Valley locations.  Sears: Ace Hardware: Let’s talk about Black Friday. I admit. I have joined the super shoppers on Black Friday, setting out one year for a 5 a.m. Wal-Mart sale on a digital camera. What do you think about the Black Friday sales? Do you hit the stores for deals early that day? Spill your story here. October 4, 2007Appliance hunting? You're in luck.It’s time to celebrate a new sales tax holiday in Virginia.  The savings apply to items that are Energy Star rated and are priced at $2,500 or less. 
Perhaps the greatest bonus is that some Roanoke Valley retailers can decide whether to make other items in their stores tax free. Best Buy is one of them. Everything in the Roanoke store will be free of sales tax in the next four days, including digital cameras, laptop computers and flat panel televisions. As for the discount on Energy Star appliances, here are some examples of how much you would save on some items without the sales tax: General Electric refrigerator: $999 = $49.95 savings Read more about the sales tax holiday in today’s Roanoke Times Business section. So, do you plan to shop for appliances this Friday through Monday? And is the five-percent tax discount worth it? |
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