Offering everything from fondue classes to puppy delivery on Christmas Eve, local merchants are using specials to attract shoppers this holiday season.

And early reports from retailers are defying predictions that high oil prices and a poor housing market could hurt holiday sales this year.

At the Cheese Iron in Scarborough, co-owner Vince Maniaci said his wine and cheese specialty shop is seeing 20 percent more traffic than it did a year ago.

“Sales are pretty good. Just before Thanksgiving, there were many more 11th-hour shoppers,” said Maniaci.

Maniaci is betting monthly fondue classes the store offers will help boost sales. Whether a customer buys a new fondue pot or finally learns how to use the one sitting in the back of the closet, Maniaci said it’s the perfect wintertime activity.

“Fondue is a cold weather sport,” he said. “It’s easy to socialize over a pot of fondue.”

Sales are also up slightly at the Mills Stores on Payne Road, which sells unfinished wood furniture and wood crafts, according to manager Sean Crowley. Holiday shoppers favor handmade wood toy boxes they can paint on their own or pay the store to finish. Also popular is American Girl wooden doll furniture.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but things have been good,” said Crowley.

At the Scarborough Bull Moose Records, store hours have been expanded and special sales events planned. Clerk Ray Capizzo said Monday marked the busiest day yet for the CD store. Holiday shoppers are choosing seasonal music as gifts, with the Josh Groban Christmas album a hot seller.

New pet-shop owner Ryan Cheplick said business has been booming since his grand opening earlier this month. He’s already seen dozens of customers go home from his Route 1 store, Pawsitively Pets, with puppies for early Christmas gifts, and expects sales will only increase.

“We’ve been very, very busy,” he said.

For gift givers who want to keep the new member of the family a secret until the very last minute, Cheplick is offering a dog delivery service on Christmas Eve.

A holiday display gives new pet owners an opportunity to accessorize their puppies for the season, with miniature jackets and sweaters to keep them warm with style and Christmas stockings with pictures of different breeds. There are even candy canes just for pups.

The holidays are a busy time at the Nestling Duck Gift Shop in Scarborough, as they have been for two decades, said store manager Ruth Brown.

The gift shop on Pine Point Road had its annual holiday open house last weekend, offering a free pound of fudge with each $25 purchase. The shop is expanding its hours through the holidays, as well.

Brown said there is a steady stream of traffic, with shoppers buying Old World glass ornaments, Yankee candles and Stonewall Kitchen products as gifts.

Maureen Hemond, owner of Len Libby Candies, said her store actually fares better when the economy is faltering.

“When things are good, the big-ticket items sell,” she said. But people are still going to buy gifts during the holidays, and chocolates and candies can serve as a more affordable gesture.

“It’s still a nice gift,” she said.

In addition to the traditional holiday items, this season, the store is introducing a new candy – the Needham joy – a local version of the Almond Joy. Hemond said Maine-made Needham chocolate is to the candy industry as lobster is to fishing.

In order to get more people into the store around the holidays, Len Libby’s hosts a make-your-own candy cane event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The 10-year tradition serves to kick off the season. Hemond said about 1,000 customers came through the store this year for the event, which should prove profitable.

“Once someone comes in the shop, usually, they come back,” she said, “whatever the season.”

Maniaci said shoppers at the Cheese Iron have been buying bottles of wine for holiday parties and get-togethers. The shop offers a broad selection of wines from small vineyards that Maniaci said are difficult to find at grocery stores and liquor shops.

“This year, the most attractive price point is between $9.99 and $13.99 for a bottle of wine,” he said. “People are grabbing two bottles to take to parties, instead of picking out one more expensive bottle.”