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Janssen, owner of Reuse Refuge in downtown Auburn, told мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼ on Saturday that January and February are quiet for her shop, so the sales generated by the holidays help her get through that lull. 

The store was one of several open throughout Cayuga County the last weekend before Christmas as people searched for gifts.

Business has been "pretty OK" this season, Janssen said, picking up over the past couple weeks. She noted Thanksgiving was a week later than normal, making for a shorter holiday season.

"Everybody that I'm talking to, even personally, is like, 'Oh my God, I feel so behind on all my shopping and everything,' you had such a short time to get ready to go," she said. "It sneaks up on you."

Reuse Refuge's selection includes crafts, secondhand clothes and eco-friendly hygienic products like soap, shampoo and cleaning vinegar that customers can refill their own containers with. 

The clothing has consistently flown out the door of the Auburn shop, Janssen said, and is her best-seller each week. She has also taken in more preowned clothing this year than previously. She tries to choose clothing that will last, but said preowned items often don't cost as much as ones that are fresh from manufacturers.

"I think it's really familiar for people, and given my name, Reuse Refuge, I think that's something people kind of expect when they come in," she said.

"Given that a lot of my demographic is very eco-friendly-minded types of people, they do tend to go toward secondhand clothing more."

Reusable lint removers also fly off the shelves, to Janssen's surprise, especially during the holidays. Swedish dishcloths have been another popular item recently. 

Noting that she has about 20 area vendors who supply her shop, Janssen feels it is important to buy local during the holidays.

"A lot of your dollar that is spent locally stays local," she said. "Especially with me, because I try very hard to focus what I am spending for anything on local businesses."

Not far down Genesee Street is Regenerations, a consignment boutique that sells preowned items as well, though owner Sue Waby told мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼ that some of them have never been used. 

Also noting the shorter holiday season, Waby said business has been good but she's not yet sure how sales will compare to last year. 

Based on her observations, people tend to shop big-box stores earlier in the day and then gravitate toward boutiques like hers in the afternoon. 

"It's kind of a mini-department store. I have clothing and home decor and right now I have toys even, that I don't normally carry, but they're new and this time of year, people look for them," she said.

"I have a lot of loyal customers that make it a point to come in, too."

Christmas decor has sold well like always, Waby said, particularly in November and early December. 

As more customers started coming through her doors, the boutique owner has encouraged them to visit other small businesses.

"Locally owned businesses are just that, they're locally owned. It's not a corporation. We're not on the New York Stock Exchange," she said. "And it is cliché, because we all know the 'shop small' thing, but especially when you have a downtown area like Auburn, that's trying to be rejuvenated, it's the small businesses and the boutique owners who are individuals who do this."

Waby added that she would love to see more local retailers downtown, and believes her customers feel the same.

"We are starting to see some things, but it's always a very slow process," she said.

Adrian Messina, who was waiting at the store to pick up a present for his mother, Paula, said he was born and raised in Auburn. So he likes to do his holiday shopping at local businesses.

"You got all these big chains, and they make a fortune," he said. "The small businesses, sometimes they tend to struggle to even stay open, so it's nice to give back to them." 

Another small business where families browsed Saturday was Fingerlakes Variety & Sports at Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.

Owner Pat Nichols has run the shop for about 20 years, and it's been at the mall on and off for about 14. It's lined with sports memorabilia, including clothes and toys.

Nichols told мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼ sales have been OK this season, but are still an improvement over last year. She said she has struggled to let people know "that we're here." Business is slow during the week but has been better on weekends, and the Holiday Craft Fair and Vendor Market at the mall earlier this month helped.

Like other local business owners, Nichols stressed the importance of the holiday season.

"If you're busy with things going on, it's very important to your business because you're bringing in the revenue," she said.

Nichols said her homemade pillows, some with sports logos and others with pop culture characters, are popular. Customers have looked for bargains more this year than previous ones, she added, with some asking if they can buy an item for a dollar less than the asking price. She tries to negotiate with them. 

"The economy is pretty tough out there, especially for families," she said. "The cost of everything has gone up. They want to get something, but they want to be able to afford it."