Virginia consumers more upbeat as the holiday shopping season rolls along Gene Marrano December 10, 2025 1 minute read Alice Kassens Roanoke College photo Consumer Sentiment is much higher in Virginia than it is in the nation as a whole – and that might be good news for local businesses that often count on the Thanksgiving to Christmas stretch to jump into “the black.” More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano: Share: Post navigation Previous: The Nutcracker, Shakespeare, Best Christmas Pageant ever … and RSO’s Holiday Brass all this weekendNext: Nutcracker on stage this weekend Related Stories 4 minutes read Roanoke business owners push back against proposed special events policy changes Clark Palmer January 21, 2026 0 1 minute read This weekend Theatre that makes think at The Bear … the 1956 wreck of the 611 at VMT … and The Brothers Grimm youth show coming to Attic Gene Marrano January 21, 2026 0 3 minutes read Virginia’s largest business program and competition readies for another year Denise Membreno January 20, 2026 0