My Top Small Business Saturday Spots
Small Business Saturday was a campaign started in the midst of the Great Recession in 2010 when small businesses were closing left and right due to financial hardships.
Since then, it has been supported by a Congressional resolution and is participated in by businesses across all 50 states. Small Business Saturday happens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and helps bring awareness to small, family-owned and locally operated businesses in your community and beyond. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, “there are more than 30 million small businesses in the U.S., employing nearly half of the entire American workforce. Through their resilience, drive, and creativity, these small businesses fuel the American economy. They build careers, power innovations, and serve communities across the country.”
As a small business owner myself, I am keenly aware of doing my best to support creators, retailers and service providers in my own community and when I’m traveling and exploring new places. Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to do this quite a bit as I source products and services for projects. So, in honor of Small Business Saturday I’ve rounded up several of my favorite spots here at home and away. I hope you’ll also find some time this season to explore and support the small businesses in your community. Happy Holidays!
Minneapolis Area
This is my home turf and therefore where I have the most spots that are near and dear to my heart. These are just a few of my favorites.
Apparel: Martin Patrick3
Great for: Everything for everyone! Apparel, books, candles, home décor, even fine jewelry. They have a breadth of brands that have become hard to find in Minneapolis. The store is reminiscent of the well-curated department stores of the past.
Tableware: The Foundry
Great for: Simple and refined kitchen and tableware like paper thin drinkware, organic forms for serving, and French linen napkins. A great place to snag the perfect hostess gift like their tiny kitchen tools keychain.
Plants: Tonkadale Nursery
Great for: A wide selection of fresh flowers, plants, and home décor. They are a merchandiser’s dream in their ability to be on point and color-blocked season after season. The convenience of great design paired with easy delivery makes them a dream to shop – even if you’re not local. That friend with the green thumb? Just grab them a gift card or something more personalized like one of these adorable earth-toned planters.
Local Food: The Grocer’s Table
Great for: Well-curated food gifts and cookbooks. They focus on Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa meats and cheeses, so it’s a great place to put together a locavore charcuterie board for your holiday party. Grab something to eat while you’re there and peruse their market – the perfect place to grab a gift for your foodie friend. There’s also a cocktail and wine bar, so stay for Happy Hour and really get in the festive spirit.
Food Gifts: France 44
Great for: An amazing wine selection with cut-to-order cheeses and an overall great take-away counter. They also curate amazing gift boxes that even the hardest to buy for family member will be delighted to receive.
Atlanta Area
Business and pleasure have taken me to Atlanta many times, and I never go wrong browsing the West Side Provisions District, Virginia Highlands area, or a gallery stroll at Miami Circle. Here are a few spots to get you started.
Apparel: Sid and Ann Mashburn
Great for: Timeless and classic pieces and everything from biscotti to baroque pearls. The designers behind the eponymous line of apparel have created a store that is equally elegant and inviting. They stock great accessories including handbags and watches. Their high-end fabrics paired with sophisticated palettes means you’re buying a quality piece every time. If I was making a wish list, I’ll just say that this merino wool tartan scarf might be on it.
Home: Dixon Rye
Great for: One-of-a-kind and vintage accessories. This well-appointed shop embodies elevated southern style and introduces me to new furniture and lighting makers every time. In my opinion it’s also a great spot to pick up a gift for a husband, son, dad or any other man in your life who always says “oh, I don’t want anything.” They do actually want these vintage Kouba bird game cocktail glasses, they just don’t know it yet.
Crafts: Highland Woodworking
Great for: Anyone on your list who are crafters or want to be crafters - this is the place to start. Although let me be clear, this is not a place to get pipe cleaners or glue sticks. They specialize in high quality, real supplies for woodworking, but even the average lover of wooden things can get lost for hours looking through all their tools, books, projects, etc. You can also shop their website, and believe it or not, they even have a stocking stuffer category!
Birmingham Area
Tableware: Table Matters
Great for: Elegant China positioned next to modern dinnerware lines. This is your old school wedding registry shop made modern. From drinkware to linens to furniture, they have an excellent collection of patterns and styles that suite any taste but that will stand the test of time. But remember, you don’t have to be getting married to treat yourself to a new set of flatware or an elegant serving piece – if you love to host, then treat yourself to a serving upgrade. I personally have my eye on this marble lazy Susan with a chic brass inlay. The perfect addition to a bustling holiday table.
Antiques, antiques, antiques! There are too many to list here and they’re all wonderful. A few that have great consistent inventory levels include Henhouse Antiques and Architectural Heritage.
Chicago
Home: Jayson Home
Great for: Well-curated items for all things home. This large retail space has it all, and you can even shop their online store from somewhere perhaps less cold than Chicago in December. They’ve put together a capsule gift collection online that’s a great place to start. These monogrammed tool boxes would make the perfect house warming gift and these blank vintage book journals might just inspire you to write the next great American novel.
Home: South Loop Loft
Great for: Vintage furniture and accessories. Their inventory changes regularly, so every trip in is like a treasure hunt. Their 8,000 square foot warehouse is a designer’s dream and according to their website they’ve just gotten in two containers from Europe that you can make an appointment to walk through the full collection! They’ve also got fantastic service and offer shipping.