Walk through the doors of the Garland Gallery in Binghamton, and you'll find hundreds of unique items, hand-picked for shoppers looking for something different.

It's a goal set forth by small businesses across the country, with the hopes of being able to appeal to wider audience around the holiday season.

"We wait for this all year round. We do a lot of our shopping for the holiday season in the summertime in New York and this is what it's all about," said Garland Gallery Owner Sherry Eaton.

But for mom and pop shops like Garland Gallery, competing with national retail chains can be a challenge.

That's why a new campaign, known as "Buy in Broome" is informing the community about the importance of shopping local.

"The benefit of that is not only are you keeping and retaining those dollars here in Broome County, but you're also building a network in the community. You're learning about those small business owners," said Broome County IDA Executive Director Stacey Duncan.

This year's shopping season also comes at a time when close to a dozen businesses have left the Oakdale Mall. Small business owners see this as an opportunity to reach more people.

"Since the mall opened and kind of took all the business out there, I think it's a complete turnaround now. I think people want to live downtown. I think they want to shop downtown," said Eaton.

There are more than a dozen small businesses in downtown Binghamton alone. Broome County's IDA says the more you shop local, the more stores that will pop up.

"When that kind of energy when you're supporting local builds, you have the opportunity to create more businesses from there," said Duncan.

While "Buy in Broome" is aimed at the holiday season, owners hope the message carries on year round.