POLL: Favorite Specialty/Gift Shop

As we kick of the second half of the first round of our small business tournament, we want to know which specialty shop in Merrimack is your favorite.

With an array of gift shops, jewelry shops, bath shops and more, there are plenty of places in Merrimack to find a treat for the home or pick up something special for a friend or family member.

Choose from the below, your favorite specialty shop in Merrimack and don't forget to click the links to check out their business listing to write a review. In the event of a tie, the business with the most reviews on their listings page will be declared the winner.

HOW IT WORKS: Over the first 12 weeks of the tournament, we're asking you to choose a winner from several different business categories. The winner of each of the first 12 weeks will then go up against two other businesses in the second round until we whittle it down to an overall winner of your favorite business in town.

Each category winner will earn bragging rights in town as the Readers' Choice pick for their category and the overall winner will be featured on Patch at the end of the 19-week contest.

VOTING RULES: Post the name of the small business you think should win that week in comments field near the bottom of this page. Voting begins on Monday mornings and runs through Fridays at 9 a.m. We will announce the weekly winner early on Friday afternoons. Please post only one vote each week. Votes will only be counted if they are made in the comments section of this story. Votes posted on Facebook and Twitter unfortunately cannot be counted. Voting results posted in real time shall not be deemed official until Patch has reviewed and confirmed all of the votes.

IF A BUSINESS IS MISSING: If you believe we've missed a business, fear not. We have a Best of the Rest category at the end of the first round to handle businesses that didn't fit into one of the common categories and any businesses we may have missed. If you have any questions or want to alert us to missed businesses email Merrimack Patch Editor Carolyn Dube at carolyn.dube@patch.com.

BREAKING A TIE: Each of these businesses also has a listing in our directory where Patch users can rate and review them. In the event of a tie, the winner with the most spot reviews will win. So when you have a couple of free minutes, make sure to click on the link for the business of your choice and write them a quick review. Each of the links below brings you to that business' listing.

Good luck and have fun!