Sylvia Paulsen, owner of Gardner's Cottage and Christmas Cottage stores in Riverside and San Diego counties, just filled prime space in a commercial center near Trader Joe's in La Quinta with Christmas finery as a seasonal test-run of the market.

Tough times dictated the move.

The Riverside store, in business for nine years, was “very profitable” until the economy went south.

“We decided to take our strength — fourth-quarter merchandise — to expand and operate three Christmas Cottages, instead of one,'' Paulsen said. “It's a business strategy to flex our strength.”

Another holiday store is expected to open in Carlsbad. If it works, the lease may be extended beyond the season to bring the Gardner's Cottage line to La Quinta.

“It's too early to predict the results, but I've seen a few degrees of improvement,'' Paulsen said. “We just had our best October in two years.”