Well, as predicted, Lowes Foods will be doing triple coupons today, Thursday and Friday. This will probably be the last one before the holidays, so I advise you to go ahead and stock up.

Lowes rules are now the same as Harris Teeter's: You must have your Lowes card to get triple coupons. Lowes will triple up to 20 coupons, up to 99 cents in face value each. ($1 coupons are still worth only $1). Some stores seem to be limiting people to 20 coupons per day. Others may still make it 20 per trip through the line. Unfortunately, there seems to be some great variation on this rule. You'll just have to see what the policy is at your store.

With a nod and a thank you to Faye Prosser and the Smart Spending NC Yahoo group, click "Read more" for a list of good triples deals.

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I'm told that all three levels of the new parking deck at Crabtree Valley Mall are now open. Good timing with the holidays coming up! 

In Raleigh, the new Office Depot open at 4302 New Bern Ave. That's just near the corner that's home to the Walgreens and Wal-Mart. 

Here's something I take as a very good sign. It's just October, but LL Bean has already launched a free shipping promotion as a preemptive bid for holiday shopping dollars. The promotion is pretty much what it says... you do have to pay shipping for some furniture and other heavy items. But if you're ordering a sweater or something, totally free shipping! The reason I say this is a good sign is because I think it shows retailers are going to be really competitive this holiday season. And, with Bean offering free shipping, I would bet a lot of competitors follow suit. 

Well I do love a good deal. In Morrisville this week, The Shawl Shop will have a factory sale, selling designer shawls at up to 90 percent off. The three-day event will be held October 10, 11 and 12 (That's Wednesday, Thursdy and Friday) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the warehouse, located at182 Kitty Hawk Drive in Morrisville. 

Over the past few years, some Web sites have gained big followings by posting copies of retailers' Black Friday advertisements ahead of time. (Black Friday is the designation for the Friday after Thanksgiving and is so named because it was traditionally the time when retailers went "into the black" for the year.) This year, Black Friday ads have appeared online earlier than ever before. The site www.blackfriday.info the Ace Hardware ad this week. That's 10 weeks before Black Friday. It does seem a bit early to me. But if you're one of those folks who likes to map out your every move on Black Friday, I guess you can get to it. 

At the new 1705Prime chophouse in Raleigh,  the new cigar lounge is open. Called the Stinger Lounge, the cigar lounge and the restaurant can be found at 1705 E. Millbrook Road. There is a cigar menu, which offers several different types and brands of cigars that will range from $11 to $25. The cigar lounge will also house its own humidor. 

A note to clarify an item in today's Retailing column. In the column I state that a new gift shop called Gracious Interiors is opening in the V's Teas and Treasures building. Unfortunately, some readers took this to mean V's is closing, which is completely not true.

As I wrote on this blog earlier this week, V's is a converted house, in which you can get a lovely afternoon tea and do a little shopping. It's home to several local merchants and artists, who all sell their wares collectively under one roof. Gail's business will be one of those, and she sells NC pottery, floral arrangements, Radko ornaments, Mark Roberts fairies, Beatriz Ball polished aluminum and lots of other vintage items.

My apologies to the folks at V's for the confusion. V's is located at 702 Glenwood Avenue, just off the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Peace Street, kind of catty-corner to the Mellow Mushroom.

If you've got a big purchase to make, this might be a good weekend to at least do some comparison shopping. Many retailers are already advertising their Columbus Day deals, so you might be able to snag a good bargain. 

Cary Towne center will host the Cary Fire Department today for an event marking the launch of Fire Prevention Week. The festival will take place in the parking lot off Maynard Street near the BB&T building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will include educational events, the Kids' Combat Challenge and a chance for your child to have a picture with the fire truck or Sparky the Fire Dog. 

OK, folks... I've gotten several volunteers willing to help me with Wednesday deals during the weeks that I am on vacation later this month. (Thank you all for your willingness to help!) But I could use a few more. So, if you are willing to help out with Wednesday deals on the 17th and 24th, please e-mail me. 

Campbell's is recalling 72,000 cans of Chunky Soup because they may contain pieces of plastic. The recall only involves 18.8-ounce cans of Campbell's Chunky Baked Potato with Cheddar & Bacon Bits with the can code JUL 08 2009 07097.

This recall doesn't directly affect North Carolina, but I know people from other states read this blog, so I figured I would post the recall. The affected cans were reportedly shipped to stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. If you have one, return it to the store where you bought it for an exchange or refund. 

Cary Towne Center will host a blood drive on Saturday to help Rex Blood Services. The blood drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration will take place in center court, and the Rex Bloodmobile will be parked outside the food court. 

The new Lowes Foods store in North Raleigh opened this morning at 8440 Louisburg Road. The 48,000-square-foot store will also offer Lowes' online shopping "Lowes To Go" program, in which you can buy groceries online and pick up your completed order at the store. Also today, the Lowes store on Strickland Road (near Six Forks) in Raleigh will begin a four-week celebration for the "re-grand opening" of that renovated store. Among the changes at that location: a bigger cheese selection, a new seafood case, an olive bar and a new gourmet candy section.