Early shopping: Area stores reporting hot-selling items before holiday…

In the new game Speak Out, players wear mouthpieces not unlike lip retractors worn at the dentist’s office and are prompted to say different popular phrases.

YouTube videos have sparked considerable interest in the game this year, Brune said.

Yoast likened it to last year’s popularity of the game Pie Face, which resulted in people randomly hit in the face with a dollop of whipped cream. Wal-Mart in Cape Girardeau and Target are sold out of Speak Out, though more are expected in soon.

Also popular: Nintendo’s new NES Classic Edition. Though it’s a system children can enjoy, Brune suspects they’re mostly being purchased for nostalgic adults.

While gifts for adults are available at the larger retailers — Brown said air fryers are a popular item this year, and Yoast said the robotic vacuum systems carried in her store are selling well — many people are looking to smaller shops to find something different for their friends and loved ones.

Jerra Hutson said at her family’s furniture store, Hutson’s Fine Furniture in downtown Cape Girardeau, jewelry armoires and children’s rocking chairs are popular gifts each year.

But at her new boutique, Atelier, she, like other small-business owners in the region, is gearing up for the holidays and noticing trends from people looking for unique gifts.

Hutson said her store’s leather, wood and traditional silk bow ties have consistently sold well, and she expects them to sell more for the holidays, too.

Stackable bracelets, she said, also have been a popular gift item,

Because of the variety available, Hutson said shoppers will be sure to find something their loved ones don’t have already.

Lisa Walker, who co-owns High Street Station in Jackson with her sister, also carries stackable bracelets. She emphasized the ability to mix and match inexpensive pieces to create a “bohemian style” that is popular now.

Hutson and Walker noted popular trends reflected in their merchandise.

For Hutson: Furry and fuzzy items, such as fluffy scarves and trimmed handbags.

Walker identified plaid as a popular pattern. Also, she said, her customers seem to like personalized items, from a hand towel suitable for monogramming to a Missouri-themed cutting board.

“Anything that can be customized or personalized seems to do well,” Walker said.

Hutson said shoppers should look for gifts that are not only uncommon but well made.

“Unique is great,” Hutson said, “But it has to be good quality, too. … A great, well-made product instantly becomes a desirable gift.”

bbrown@semissourian.com

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