ENCINITAS -- For last-minute gift shopping, Julian Duval faced a tricky Sunday morning mission. Duval was buying for his wife, Leslie, while she was buying gifts for him. In the same store. At the same time.

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They accomplished their task at Queen Eileen's gift shop on the Coast Highway in downtown Encinitas. While others roamed through the aisles of large department stores, the Duvals of Encinitas hunted among the knickknacks, curios, clothes and other items of a locally owned emporium.

Duval said he's long shopped at Queen Eileen's. He likes the merchandise and the helpful attitude of the family-run store, which also has a Solana Beach location. He and Leslie greeted owner "Queen" Eileen Burke like old friends, which they are.

And that seemed true of the other customers inteviewed. They like to keep it local, and most seemed to know each other.

"I shop only locally," said Kris Powell of Leucadia. "I'm here looking for unique gift ideas. And I'm picking up a gift basket. Also, I'm birthday shopping. I need a little more stocking stuffers."

Shopping local keeps the area's economy strong, Powell said.

"When you have a business that is local, if people don't support it, it closes," Powell said, explaining her philosophy. "And I've done that for the last 10 years."

Retailers locally and nationwide are a bit uneasy about sales this holiday season.

"I think when the dust settles, stores will have met expectations, though they are modest," said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks total sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets. He said he is still sticking with his 3.6 percent annual sales gain forecast for the November and December period, though he added, "Some retailers will do OK, and others won't."

Analysts said shoppers continued to snap up flat-screen TVs, video game software and other gadgets, benefiting stores such as Best Buy Co., the apparel business remains challenging.

Queen Eileen's approach to retail is to offer a variety of items from moderate-to-low cost, and to throw in some whimsy.

Among the merchandise on the shelves at Queen Eileen's: Balinese jewelry, purses, earrings, drinking glasses, a large assortment of gag items. There was an entire table of "Old Guys Rule" shirts and accessories. When all else failed, there were gift baskets, which customers could stuff to their liking from the merchandise.

Next to a display of sweaters, Julian motioned to a reporter to join him a few steps farther away so his wife wouldn't hear his plans.

"I don't want to talk to you next to her," he whispered while walking to the front of the store. "She'll go over to this part of the store and I can be over at this part of the store. And I know Eileen, so she can discreetly help me out."

Burke cultivates a loyal crowd of residents with gifts ranging from the beautiful to wacky, and loads of personal attention.

A self-described "shameless self-promoter" with a ready smile, Burke says she's constantly looking for new merchandise and deals to interest customers. Merchandise from Bali, an island in Indonesia, is big; she shops there regularly.

"I travel to Indonesia three times a year, and I bring all the stuff back," Burke said. "My customers love it so much, and it's such an impoverished country, that we've decided to take 10 percent of our sales -- not our profits, but our sales -- and we're adopting a Balinese orphanage."

In March, Burke said she plans to go "orphanage shopping" to find places where the supplies she brings will do the most good.

"We're going to bring pencils, clothing, all the things we can get here so easily," Burke said.

Burke applies this let's-make-it-happen attitude to customers with butterflies in the stomach, such as Julian Duval.

"I've pulled this off before, so I figure I can do it again," said Duval, president and chief executive of Quail Botanical Gardens. "I'm a last-minute shopper. I really am. Christmas is like, the day after tomorrow?" he asked, sounding a bit perplexed.

"So here I am, and there's my wife. So there's a lot of pressure, but that's all right. I work well under pressure."

Duval said he's learned from last year what not to buy.

"Some of these things that guys wish their wives would like, doesn't go over that well," he said. "Sexy underwear, stuff like that. So this year, I'm trying to get away from that. She was nice about it, but …"

His voice trailed off.

There's plenty else to buy at Queen Eileen's, Duval said.

"This is a small place, but they've got tons of stuff here," he said.

Another bonus: Their little black dog, Buddy, was welcome. The Duvals alternated in holding Buddy, a Chihuahua-dachshund mix.

Kimberly Daubner of Encinitas was struck by the display of pajamas.

"Where else would you find pajamas with sushi on it?" Daubner asked, holding up pajamas with emblems of Japanese sake and fish. "It just doesn't happen anywhere else."

Pajamas were 10 percent off Sunday. To showcase the goods, Burke and her entire staff wore pajamas.

At the end of Duval's perambulations, he had discreetly selected a few gifts, with the help of Queen Eileen. They were stashed in his upper coat pocket, unbeknownst to his wife.

Wire services contributed to this article. Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.