If you're a member of the VIP Shopper Club at Carolina Premium Outlets in Smithfield, you'll get a chance to save big this weekend.

Here's a taste of some of the deals you'll find:

Banana Republic: 20 percent off purchase of $100 or more

Calvin Klein Men's: 30 percent off entire purchase

Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store: 20 percent off entire purchase

Nine West: 20 percent off entire purchase of $50 or more

The Shopper Club is free to join. Register online at www.premiumoutlets.com/vip. Existing members can log onto The VIP Lounge to download the VIP coupon savings sheet, vouchers and an entry form.

Martin + Osa has partnered with the Autism Society of North Carolina for a charity shopping event with cocktails Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at the Crabtree Valley Mall store.

Everyone who goes will get a 30 percent discount during the event. And if you're one of the first 20 guests, you'll get a $25 gift certificate.

Charlotte Russe stores will be kicking things up Thursday from 5-8 p.m. with a High Heel Happy Hour to show customers new fall and holiday shoe collections.

Among the favorites for fall: booties, tall boots and embellished heels.

To give you an incentive to go, customers who buy one pair will get a second pair for $10. Buy two pairs and get a third for $5. And customers also will get a free pair of tights with every footwear purchase, while supplies last.

Charlotte Russe has stores at Crabtree Valley Mall, Triangle Town Center and Cary Towne Center.

Here's your chance to get first dibs on overstocks from boutiques across the country. My Overstock Boutique in Mebane will start getting new arrivals Tuesday through Oct. 17. (The store sells clothes and accessories from more than 250 boutiques from around the country)

If you go today or Saturday, you'll be able to buy one pair of shoes and get a second pair free. All sweaters go on sale 25 percent off Oct. 20-24. And get $5 off a pair of pants if you bring in gently used denim from Oct 27-31.

That's what the National Retail Federation is predicting for the upcoming holiday shopping season. The trade group said today that holiday sales will drop 1 percent to $437.6 billion compared to last year's shopping season.

The good news? The drop won't be as bad as last year's 3.4 percent drop. Small blessings, I suppose.

NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells said Americans will focus on practical gifts and stay firm to their budgets this holiday season.

Read more here.

I always hit the Beijo Bags booth at the annual A Shopping Spree (coming up soon, btw, Oct 22-25). If you've never seen the bags, they're made of a shiny plastic material that actually looks edgy and chic. (I have a burgundy one with a silver chain strap that's perfect to use on rainy nights.)

Anyway, I was happy to see you can get a Beijo Bag that also supports breast cancer research and patients with the disease. It's called the Pinky Promise and has incorporated into its design a pink ribbon handle. The bag was a labor of love for Susan Handley, whose mother successfully battled breast cancer. Susan now donates 35 percent of the sales of this bag to Breast Cancer Network of Strength, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Breast Cancer Society.

The bags cost $95. Get them online at www.beijobags.com. Don't know if they'll be available at Spree. If I hear, I'll pass along word.

... if you spend $100 this weekend at the Cameron Village kid's clothing store. The gift cards are good after Oct. 15.

All pink dresses at the fashion Web site eDressMe.com are 10 percent off today through Oct. 31 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And an additional 10 percent of each sale will be donated to charity.

If you're itching for something new and different for fall, head over to C.T. Weekends. Got an e-mail this morning saying that fall collections from Europe arrive at the store today. Among the designers: Cecile Hue for id Sens ("contemporary coats and dresses in stunning colors," according to the e-mail), Aventures des Toiles ("the marriage of art and fashion") and Kasia N. ("incomparable designs in boiled wool coats").

Got an e-mail blast from Cravings, A Maternity Boutique in North Hills. Sounds like the store is packed with tons of new fall merchandise. Store owner Kim Seymour says she has more than 80 pairs of pants, cords and slacks, 40 dresses and 120 shirts, tops, tunics, blouses and sweaters. And she has more than 10 styles of jeans, which is a lot considering they're all maternity styles.

Here's a picture of a cute sweater dresses by Olian. Love the plum!