Treasure Valley shoppers may change their strategies for Christmas shopping this year after weathering months of economic distress.

But Lil Kurek, owner of the upscale American Clothing Gallery at 8th and Main streets in Downtown Boise, won't change the way she manages her store of wearable art.

"Nobody should," said Kurek, who features goatskin boots that cost up to $550 and painted coats that sell for $1,000. "It's still Christmas. ... People are going to shop."

In 11 days, the Treasure Valley will undergo Black Friday - the annual day-after-Thanksgiving shopping spree - which may give local retailers their best gauge of how strong the Christmas buying season will be.

One thing is certain: The Christmas shopping landscape in the Treasure Valley will be different.

Holiday shoppers will find fewer familiar stores to choose from as the worsening economy inflicts some casualties.

Mervyns in Boise Towne Square is having a closeout sale. Linens 'n' Things is selling out wall to wall. Movie Gallery - a video store - closed several Treasure Valley locations over the past year and a half. CompUSA is gone. Specialty retailer Mariposa, a young women's clothing store in the mall, has announced closures.

But new stores are moving in.

Boise Towne Square has Downeast Basics, which offers tees, dresses and other clothing and jewelry geared to people with a limited budget, said Rebekah Hope, Towne Square common-area coordinator. It is one of about six retailers that opened in the mall this year.

Karcher Mall in Nampa has Steve & Barry's, which features casual wear. (This is a national chain that filed for bankruptcy last summer and announced plans to close some stores, but not this one.)

Downtown Boise will start the Christmas season by adding The North Face in the old Mode building on Idaho Street, about a block from Kurek's store. She's delighted because it will build traffic.

Predictions for the season's shopping are mixed.

Retail sales in October were down 2.8 percent nationally, a record drop. Sales-tax receipts in Idaho, a measure of retail sales, were down 10 percent in October compared with October 2007. Some of the country's largest department stores, such as Best Buy, are reducing their forecasts for the season.

But local retailers remain optimistic that they will still do well.

Idaho Camera, for example, says it will have plenty of inventory on hand for its three Boise stores and its Nampa location. But rather than buy all their products - such as digital cameras and lenses - at once and hold them in storage rooms for a few months awaiting the holidays, store officials have planned to keep re-ordering through the season, said Pat Nagel, Idaho Camera's co-president.

He's optimistic about the holidays because prices remained stable this year and gas prices have dropped about $2 a gallon, putting a little more spending money in consumers' pockets.

"We are planning for a good Christmas," he said.

J.C. Penney's Nampa Gateway store, at Garrity Boulevard and Interstate 84, is well positioned with both merchandise and prices for shoppers looking to make the most of their Christmas shopping money, said Rick Aller, store manager.

"A lot of people are just worried," Aller said. "When people are worried, they may not spend as much. That makes our job a little more challenging this year."

Many retailers are getting help from their malls or shopping districts looking for ways to build more traffic.

The Downtown Boise Association, for example, is offering "Procrastinators, Rejoice!" when stores will remain open late on Dec. 23 for those people who put off Christmas shopping until the last minute.

Karcher Mall will take digital pictures of people or pets with Santa at no charge on the afternoon of Dec. 11 and then e-mail people their photos.

A number of stores, such as Idaho Camera, are planning to bring in experts or designers to help people get a better handle on their purchases.

While merchants espouse optimism, Boise economist John Church thinks the season will be "reasonable" but little more. While gas prices are down, he said, people still haven't adjusted to the cheaper prices.

"I anticipate people will hold their money a little tight," he said.

Bill Roberts: 377-6408. The Associated Press contributed to this report.