As the holidays approach, it’s significant to be mindful of where we buy our gifts. I recently did a project on sustainability for a photography class and chose to focus on a local West Chester coffee shop that you may know and love: Mayday. I highlighted the many recyclable, sustainably sourced products they sell, in addition to their craft coffee and food. They also have many plants and fresh flowers you can find. After working on this project, I started thinking more about how rampant overconsumption is during this time of year and how big of a difference it would make if we all invested in high quality, eco-friendly gifts that won’t get thrown away almost immediately (or, if they do get thrown away, they won’t harm the earth).Â
Shopping locally is also extremely beneficial to any community. We recently experienced the rush of Black Friday, but many people were unaware of Black Friday’s little sister, Small Business Saturday. A lot of the deals around Black Friday are really not that great and are just meant to encourage us to spend as much money on big corporation’s products as possible. It causes us to overconsume products we usually wouldn’t buy because of the illusion of saving money. Small Business Saturday, on the other hand, encourages us to buy from small businesses either locally or online. This supports the owners and the environment, and you can rest assured knowing whatever gift you are giving will be hand-crafted, personal, and unique.Â
If you’re hoping to get some shopping done here before we head home for the winter, I have some recommendations for small businesses in downtown West Chester! First, of course, Mayday – they sell adorable canvas tote bags, a clothing line, wellness journals, organic candles, oils, and even rosĂ©. If you’re gifting for a plant lover, Mayday is the perfect store as well.Â
Bobbles & Lace is an adorable boutique store next to Mayday that sells the cutest on-trend clothes, jewelry, and shoes. Many of the items I’ve seen in their store would be the perfect gifts for a fashion lover. Similarly, if you’re giftee is passionate about thrifting or vintage clothes, you might be able to score something totally unique for them in Malena’s Vintage Boutique at the corner of Gay and Church streets.Â
If you’re shopping for a parent or new homeowner, Pine + Quill is a lifestyle boutique with one-of-a-kind decor items, furniture pieces, and locally sourced art that would look amazing in any home. You could also of course grab a friend a gift card to their favorite local restaurant to show some support to the owners of the food joints that keep us going all semester! Some examples include Couch Tomato, Gemelli’s, Kilwin’s, or Opa! Best of luck as you get started shopping this season!