Brenda Dani, co-owner of Dixboro General Store with her husband Steve, is forecasting a strong holiday shopping season based on sales so far this year, including the store’s holiday open house held in November.

“We had one of the better open houses we’ve had in the last few years,” Dani said. “Things are definitely picking up.”

The Dixboro General Store,  located on Plymouth Road east of Dixboro Road in the village of the same name, offers a variety of items in home décor. Dani said garlands and lighting are always big items along with collectibles and candles. The store carries Byers’ Carolers and Williraye collectibles, which Dani said are popular.

Candles also seem to be very popular this year, Dani said. The Thompson Candle Co. candles, in particular, have been hard to keep in stock, she said. The fall scents flew off the shelves, and Dani is expecting the holiday scents will go just as quickly.

Dani credits the success of the store, which has been in business since 1991, not just to the products offered, but to the feeling customers can get.

“People come out here just for the atmosphere,” Dani said. “The store allows customers to get that (holiday) feeling.”

To create the holiday feeling, the store will have Santa on hand every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas. He will be available for those who want to bring camera and snap a picture or two. He brought a reindeer on Dec. 12, Dani said.

Dixboro General Store is also trying to create that special holiday feeling for those who might not otherwise get it. It is running a promotion called “Give a Child a Bear.”

The goal is to collect enough new stuffed animals to give to 500 children through Ann Arbor Peace Neighborhood Center. Any teddy bear bought in the store to go to the drive will automatically be marked down 50 percent. Dixboro will also accept donations of stuffed animals purchased elsewhere as long as they are new.

For Kate Herriff of Livonia, it is worth the 25-minute drive to visit the store. She brought her two boys Ryan, 6, and Nick, 9, to do some holiday shopping for candles and garlands earlier this month.

“We just love this store,” Herriff said.

This is one in a series of stories by AnnArbor.com’s Business Review about local retailers and their strategies during the biggest sales season of the year. Get more local business news by subscribing to the Business Review newsletter and breaking email alerts.

Wendy Ochoa is freelance writer in the news and business sections. She is also a journalism student at Washtenaw Community College where she writes for the Washtenaw Voice.