Yorker News - As manager for the Bink's Outfitters outdoor clothing boutique on the Franklin Square, Emily Britton always looks forward to helping patrons find and scratch those special gift items off their holiday shopping lists.

"At Christmas, it sells itself," she said, referring to the outerwear and Southern T-shirts the store carries in hard-to-find, low-quantity brands. "A lot of our stuff is in high demand and that helps us. A lot of things you won't find in the chain stores. It's definitely our busiest time and that gets us through some of the early months whenever we're slowing."

This year, Britton has seen an extra boost from the colder temperatures lately bringing some shoppers out earlier than they normally show up.

"Having that local flavor has been great," said Brandon Binkley, an avid outdoorsman who 13 years ago opened his first Bink's Outfitters on the town square in Murfreesboro. "People in Middle Tennessee are a lot more locally minded. They like supporting hometown-type businesses."

Bink's Outfitters' offerings of brands such as The North Face, Patagonia and Hunter boots have fueled its growth to five Middle Tennessee locations, including in Green Hills and Clarksville plus a second in Murrfreesboro.

One positive trend especially for smaller retailers is falling gas prices, which should put more money in consumers' pockets. "The gas prices are going to mean more to them ultimately than anything they have done so far," said Garrick Brown, a retail analyst with Cassidy Turley commercial real estate, who sees U.S. holiday sales rising 4.6 percent.

His forecast is just above the National Retail Federation's projection of a 4.1 percent increase to $617 billion, which would be the highest rate in three years. While the average consumer is expected to spend roughly 5 percent more overall, sales and discounts will be critical to luring them.

In addition to discounts, some retailers use other special events to draw patrons. Grimey's music store, for instance, is part of Record Store Day, which offers a unique twist on Black Friday. The concept involves offering limited-edition music releases and other items plus festivities.

For some small businesses, traveling to where potential customers are is another way to boost critical sales. That's why Yusef Harris, owner of Alkebu-Lan Images Bookstore at 28th and Jefferson, was just in Kansas City, Mo., for a National Alliance of Black School Educators conference.

In addition to books, the store Harris has run for 29 years carries specialty greeting cards and items for celebrating Kwanzaa. With more chain stores entering his mostly African American market niche, Harris travels to events of black professional groups to expand his client base.

"We don't have the margins to mark things down and still maintain our survival," he said, stressing the need to support black-owned businesses.