Do you shop local? We all love the convenience and prices that the major retailers offer via their websites and many locations, but do you ever stop and think about the fact that thousands of women have the same dress, skirt, top, jewelry etc. that you just bought?
I buy a majority of my wardrobe from major retailers like Loft, Ann Taylor, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, and Stein Mart…but sometimes I just love the experience and exclusivity that comes with shopping at a local boutique.
Markets for Makers
This weekend I attended a market in Jacksonville, Florida called: Markets for Makers. The market was a great place for local makers to showcase their products and reach their customers in a very personal way. You could tell that a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into creating the products and most of the vendors were eager to tell you all about their business.
I bought the earrings below from a lovely woman who I was able to speak with for just a few moments. I asked if she had a card with her website and other information in case I wanted to “tag” her in future posts. (New blogger thing I have to remember!) She let me know that she doesn’t have an Instagram or Etsy shop and that she primarily sells her products at vendor markets similar to the one I was attending. That is LOCAL! That is UNIQUE! I know when I wear her earrings to a football game this fall (Go NOLES!), that I may be the only lucky one to have them! That brief conversation with the owner of The Anchored Belle was a reminder of how important it is to shop local and support small business owners. Her email is listed below the photo if you would like to reach out for more information.
Earring Designer: theanchoredbelle@yahoo.com
When I shop local, I tend to buy things like casual wear, accessories, baby gifts, birthday gifts and home decor. I don’t have a local, small business in my city that offers work or office attire. If you do, that would be amazing! If you have a local business in your city that offers work wear and has an online shop, please share in the comments below so everyone can go check them out and offer support!
Below are a few other goodies my husband picked up at Market for Makers yesterday…as you can tell, he is quite the comedian with his choices!
T-Shirt: Dark Cycle Clothing Cards: Holly Oddly
Shop Local: How do I find local businesses?
If you haven’t checked out the local boutiques in your city, you should! Keep your eyes open as you are driving or walking around and I bet you find something you didn’t notice was there before. If you want to know ASAP, get on Google and search “local boutique,” “shopping near me,” or something similar and check out the top results.
Another way to shop local is market or vendor fairs like the one I attended this weekend. The vendors were not all from Jacksonville, but they all seemed to be from the north Florida area and that is still “local” enough! I researched the best ways to locate similar vendor events like Markets for Makers, and I located a few online websites that should help you. If you visit these sites and type in your city or state, they will give you a list of upcoming events in your area!
Eventbrite allows you to search for vendor events and Etsy returns results on events and local shops in your area.
Another tip: Follow your local city guides or magazines on social media and they will often advertise upcoming events and feature local retailers. That is how I found Markets for Makers!
Venue: The Glass Factory, Jacksonville, FL
I hope you have found this post informative and inspirational. It is a little different than my first few posts, but after attending the Market, I was inspired to write about this topic. I have always been a proponent of shopping local, and I love the push of “Small Business Saturday” that we have seen over the last few years around the Thanksgiving holiday. My mom was a small business owner in the 90s and through 2007, and I saw the drastic change in her business with the rise of online shopping. Customers would “shop” in her store to try on clothing and see other products in person and then announce they would go online to hopefully “find it cheaper.” It was a sad new reality for her and she had to adjust her business model to accommodate the changes in the marketplace.
Local businesses know (especially in 2018) that they are competing with big retailers for your dollars, and I’m certain that they try to keep their prices as low as possible to remain competitive. Keep in mind the quality of the products too…I often find that the items I purchase locally are both unique and excellent quality. I’m willing to pay a little more for that sometimes!
I have listed some of my favorite local businesses below and link to their online sites for you to check out. I would love if you would comment with the name and website of some of your favorites so we can all shop and share!
- Declaration & Co. – women’s clothing, jewelry, gifts, coffee and candles
- Goldfinch Boutique – women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes
- Market Street Boutique – home decor, candles, jewelry, gifts
Shop Local! Keep in mind that you may just find some of the BEST products in your own backyard!
My look is linked here!
Awesome Market