City shop owners want your business this holiday season and are offering extended hours as an incentive.

The Troy Downtown Collaborative announced last week that 27 shops, boutiques, galleries, and antique stores in downtown Troy will stay open until 7 p.m. every Friday until Christmas.

Traditionally, most stores in downtown shut their doors by 5 p.m. on weekdays, with the exception of Troy Night Out, making it difficult for local customers to hunt locally for holiday gifts after work. The extended hours began taking effect on Black Friday.

“Downtown Troy has a host of shops that offer gifts you simply can’t find anywhere else” said Elizabeth Young, executive director of the TDC and owner of Living Room, a River Street antiques shop. “From hand crafted jewelry, to antiques, to eco-friendly items and boutique fashions, Troy is the place to find something unique this holiday season”.

Participating shops include: the Antiques Warehouse, Artcentric Gift Gallery, Aurora’s Boutique, Bournebrook Antiques Center, Broken Mold Pottery, Cathedral Music, Clement Framing and Art Gallery, Cobblestone Collectibles, Counties of Ireland, Daily Grind, Francesca’s, JK Bloom Jewelry, Living Room Antiques, Market Block Books, Minion Vintage Jewelry, The Paper Sparrow, Pfeil Hardware, Pigment Art Supply, River Rocks, Romanation Jewelry, Segel Violins and A Place for Art, Some Girls Boutique, The Photography Center, The Spinning Seed, Trojan Horse Antiques, Truly Rhe, Urban Bazaar, Vintage Chic, Vintage Options Jewelry and Accessories, and more.

Young said that she and other members of the TDC hope the extra shopping hours will make it easer for Capital Region residents to spend their money locally this year to support the local economy rather than the big box stores found in area malls.

Troy Night Out, an arts and culture event held on the last Friday of each month, regularly invites individuals from across the area to experience what the city has to offer with extended hours at retail stores, as well as open galleries, live music, and specials at area restaurants.

A similar message was stressed by Capital District Local First during their annual Buy Local Bash on Nov. 21, where organizers pointed out that millions of dollars could stay in the area if residents shopped at local, independent stores rather than retail chains.