Azar Jewelry and Gone CoCo, both ousted from the City Market Building by renovations there, are now sharing space at 302 Market Street.

Business writer Jenny Boone of The Roanoke Times has more details on her retail blog, The Storefront.

The Virginia Retail Merchants Association formally endorsed Gov. Bob McDonnell’s liquor privatization plan today, becoming the latest business group to get behind the governor’s initiative.

State capital reporter Michael Sluss of The Roanoke Times has more details on our new political blog, the Blue Ridge Caucus.

Got something to say about the politics of liquor privatization? You can join the conversation here.

Plans to bring Sam’s Club to the struggling Marketplace shopping center in Christiansburg have been scrapped.

We have more on this story from The Roanoke Times.

Mt. Joy RV Sales & Service just outside Buchanan has boasted a hardware store – Mount Joy Hardware.

We have more details on our Botetourt County community news site, The Botetourt View.

Kohl’s is making plans to move into a Roanoke Walmart store at the Hunting Hills Plaza on U.S. 220, according to plans filed today.

Business writer Jenny Boone of The Roanoke Times has more on this story.

Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to privatize liquor sales in Virginia would triple the number of establishments where distilled spirits can be purchased in the state and produce the same amount of tax revenue that the state-run monopoly now generates, administration officials said today.

State capital reporter Michael Sluss has more details on the governor’s plan.

Earlier, we posted the full text of the governor’s release.

You can also talk about the politics of the liquor plan on our political blog, The Blue Ridge Caucus.

Two new stores are opening at New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg. Here is a press release from the mall:

Furthering the center’s footprint as the area’s retail hub, Foot Locker recently opened at New River Valley Mall. Local families and college students can shop for new kicks for the start of the new school year. Also, trendy teen fashion retailer rue21 is set to open at New River Valley Mall this fall.

“Foot Locker and rue21 enhance the mall’s line-up of fashion-forward and family-oriented retailers, providing more shopping options for both area students and residents,” says Mike Poldiak, general manager of New River Valley Mall. Read more »

Gov. Bob McDonnell hinted today that his administration may back the concept of a “transportation infrastructure bank” that would be capitalized with revenue from the auctioning of liquor licenses.

McDonnell’s administration will unveil more details Wednesday about its plans to privatize retail liquor sales and generate a one-time windfall for the state’s cash starved transportation system. The governor told reporters today that he expects the auctioning of licenses to generate “in the vicinity of $500 million.”

State capital reporter Michael Sluss of The Roanoke Times has more on this story on our political blog, The Blue Ridge Caucus.

Roanoke-based Advance Auto Parts Inc. will be a presenter at the 2010 Goldman Sachs Global Retailing Conference in New York on Sept. 15.

A live broadcast of the presentation, which will be held at 11:10 a.m., will be available online in the investor relations section of the company’s website. Click on the webcast link to register before the event.

A replay will be available online for 30 days.

Belk, the Charlotte, N.C.-based retailer with locations in Southwest and Central Virginia, is hosting another charity sale in November. Here’s more from Belk about the semi-annual event, which benefits nonprofit organizations:

Belk invites local charities, schools and other nonprofit organizations to participate in its Fall Charity Sale on November 6. The event will once again benefit communities throughout the company’s 16-state market area. The last Belk Charity Sale held May 1, 2010, raised more than $4.5 million for hundreds of participating nonprofit organizations.

Charity Sale tickets are available at all Belk stores for participating local, nonprofit organizations to sell in advance of the event. All proceeds from each $5 ticket sold will be retained by the charity. Beginning Friday, October 29, tickets may also be purchased at Belk stores with all donations equally divided among the participating charities and schools from each local store. There is no limit to the number of tickets charities can sell, and no limit to the amount of money that can be raised. Belk provides the tickets and collateral materials at no cost to the participating groups.

The four-hour, in-store shopping event on November 6 offers an excellent fundraising opportunity for participating organizations and a chance for customers to support their favorite charities and take advantage of special discounts on purchases made during the event.

In exchange for a $5 donation, customers will receive a ticket admitting them to the Charity Sale on November 6 from 6 to 10 a.m., entitling them to merchandise discounts ranging from 20 to 70 percent on purchases throughout the store, including special savings on rarely discounted brands. Customers will also receive $5 off their first purchase of $5 or more at the event, and Belk cardholders will receive double Rewards points for card purchases. Belk Elite cardholders will receive triple Rewards points for card purchases.

When the doors open at 6 a.m. on November 6, the first 100 customers in each store will receive a free Belk gift card and three lucky winners company-wide will receive a gift card valued at $1,000. In addition, all participating charities and schools will be automatically registered to win one of three $1,000 donations from Belk in a company-wide drawing.

The event, held semi-annually since Fall 2007, has raised a total of more than $22 million for participating nonprofit organizations in Belk markets throughout the Southeast.

Charity representatives interested in taking part in this one-of-a-kind fundraising event should contact their local Belk store manager for more information.

In order to participate in the Belk Charity Sale, organizations must have an IRS Section 501(c)(3) designation from the Internal Revenue Service.