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Despite expected sales gains, seasonal hiring in Maryland is projected to be down from last year as merchants cut costs wherever they can, said Tom Saquella, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.

If retailers need more staff, most will likely add more hours to existing workers, especially part-timers, he said.

Last year, retailers across the country hired only 231,000 seasonal workers, down 63 percent from 2007 and the lowest number in the last decade, according to the National Retail Federation. The organization projects this year that retailers will see revenue of $437.6 billion, down 1 percent from last year.

Hobby Works is doing some seasonal hiring, most likely part-time employees who have worked for the stores during the holidays before, said Mike Brey, president of Laurel-based Brey Corp., which runs Hobby Works shops in Rockville, Laurel, Bel Air and Fairfax, Va.

Numerous stores at the Mall at Prince Georges in Hyattsville are hiring seasonal workers, said Victoria Clark, marketing director. Those include J.C. Penney, Macy's and Victoria's Secret.

Marylanders have fewer national chains to turn to than last year, as retailers such as Circuit City and Filene's Basement have closed stores in the state in the past year.

But there are some new stores that recently opened, including only the second Lego Store in the state, at Arundel Mills mall in Hanover. Since opening earlier this month, that store is "off to a phenomenal start," said Julie Stern, a spokeswoman for Lego Systems. She declined to give specific employment numbers, but said the store has hired "quite a few employees, almost all from the immediate Maryland area."

Tim Hamilton, marketing director of Homestead Gardens, a decoration and tree hot spot in Davidsonville, said the garden center is hiring as many workers as previous years, adding that the company "can't do it for any less."

He said retailers are more prepared for the economy this season and have budgeted accordingly, so even if sales are only on par with last year, it will not be as damaging. For its part, Homestead Gardens has increased its marketing and taken its advertisements to social networks, Hamilton said.

"The big mistake companies make is cutting back on marketing," he said. "When there's less people advertising, your message stands out all the more."

A large part of Homestead Gardens' marketing campaign is the store's display, which Hamilton likens to 1940s Macy's with lights, train sets and a family atmosphere. "We want to make this not just a shopping trip, but an experience," he said.