Happy Small Business Saturday! I am so excited to share my “holiday gift guide,” AKA some of my favorite small businesses. I think there is something for everyone on this list – books, fashion, beauty, plants, and home goods! Black-owned businesses are denoted with an asterisk, and almost all of these shops are woman-owned.
Please consider supporting small businesses today and through the holiday season. When you buy local, your dollar means much more to that small business owner than it does to a huge corporation. Plus, the gifts you can find at small businesses are almost always more unique than the ones you’ll find at big box stores anyway. With that, I hope you enjoy this list of amazing small businesses!
Nuri Collective
“Because someone has to supply the family heirlooms.” Nuri Collective sells curated and handcrafted jewelry right here in Columbus, Ohio. You’ll find classic pieces, like chain necklaces and hoop earrings, that will never go out of style. You can purchase from Nuri Collective online, or you can shop in person at the Little Light Collective if you live in Columbus. You can pick up a beautiful piece of jewelry and support a small business with sustainable and ethical business practices. That’s a win-win.
Splendor Revival*
Splendor Revival has all of the vintage bohemian vibes. In their words, Splendor Revival is “inspired by a time when loungewear wasn’t an afterthought.” Since we’re spending almost all of our time in comfy clothes, why not make it as luxurious as possible? They carry a beautiful assortment of pieces, from caftans to housewares. I think this shop is perfectly curated and a great place to find a one-of-a-kind gift.
Prologue Bookshop
Books are one of my favorite gifts to give and receive, and I always try to purchase from indie bookstores. Enter Prologue Bookshop, a cozy little book store located in the Short North district in Columbus. If you’d rather, you can shop online and have the books delivered right to your home! Please don’t buy your books from Amazon. Support indie bookstores.
Koko Shop + Refillery
Koko Shop + Refillery is absolutely the CUTEST store in Columbus, hands down. This is a shop centered completely around sustainability, and their goal is to make it easier for consumers to purchase eco-friendly versions of products you use every day. Shop either online or in-store for all of your sustainable stocking stuffer needs. If you’re shopping in person, you can bring your own jars and they will fill them up with whatever you need – skin toner, shampoo, etc – you name it and they’ll fill it!
Yelo Aple*
I love giving and receiving plants as gifts and I think everyone else should, too. You can shop online at Yelo Aple for beautiful house plants, and you can get same day delivery if you are local to Columbus! They have a list of plants on their site that are hard to kill, so even plant-averse folks can give it a try.
Sweet & Spark
I’ve talked about Sweet & Spark a few times, but I just can’t rave about them enough. This boutique is the epitome of timeless feminine style – carrying some vintage and some new, including scarves, jewelry, and apparel. They even have an impressive selection of designer pieces if you’re looking to splurge. Anything from Sweet & Spark would make an excellent gift for your stylish BFF.
NXC Vintage*
NXC Vintage is my latest obsession on Instagram – she has a great eye for styling colorful vintage pieces. This online shop sells fun vintage clothes and accessories that are styled in a fresh way. Think bright colors, bold patterns, and lots of amazing blazers! Shop at NXC Vintage for the vintage lover in your life, you can’t go wrong here.
Quincy General Store
Quincy General Store is another local Columbus business that sells curated plants and home goods that make lovely gifts. One thing I love about Quincy is all of the items with quippy phrases, like this cute canvas tote. You can even choose from several pre-selected gift boxes if you’d like to make your holiday gift selections simpler.
Stump
Stump carries lush tropical and desert house plants at locations in Columbus, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Savannah. Their team also prioritizes customer service and sharing plant knowledge. So if you (or whomever you’re buying for) have a track record of killing plants and you’re nervous to purchase another one, you can rest easy knowing that Stump has all kinds of plant care tips and advice on their website.
Vignetterie
I recently discovered Vignetterie on Instagram and instantly fell in love with the retro glam art prints, particularly the “Glam Champagne” print. The Columbus-based artist also creates key chains, tea towels, and pins. I want to purchase a print for a friend, but I think I might have to keep it for myself… As an added bonus, they are doing 40% off the entire site right now!
Little Light Collective
The Little Light Collective is a wonderful vintage co-op based in Columbus. I love this place so much. There are several different shops within the space, so you can wander from booth to booth browsing housewares, clothing, jewelry, art and more. The vendors are constantly bringing in new items, so part of the excitement is that you never know what you will find here. Definitely recommend checking them out if you’re shopping for someone who loves vintage.
Beck and Call
I popped into Beck and Call when I was in Dayton a few weeks ago because I was immediately drawn in by the sign outside the store with a feminist phrase on it. I loved so many things about this store, and I ended up purchasing an art print of a suffragette meeting in Ohio. Shop here for your friend who will appreciate some new feminist gear.
The Tart Peach
The Tart Peach lip balms and nail polishes are great options for stocking stuffers! All of the lipsticks and other lip products are handmade in Columbus, Ohio. The lipsticks have under 20 ingredients and are cruelty free. Pick up a peppermint lip balm and holiday nail polish as a seasonally-appropriate gift for your friend who loves clean beauty while supporting a small business!
Girlfriend Collective
Okay, this one is a little bit bigger than the other businesses on this list, but I included it because I love Girlfriend Collective for many reasons. First, their activewear is so cute and comfortable. Second, the company is committed to sustainability and high standards of ethics, so they are very transparent about their sourcing and business practices. A gift from Girlfriend Collective is good for you and the planet, since they make their leggings and bras from recycled post-consumer water bottles to reduce plastic waste. Also, it’s just pretty cool that there is technology to turn plastic into activewear.
This is not an exhaustive list, there are so many small businesses out there who need the support during the holidays. But I hope this holiday gift guide helped you discover a small business or two and get some fun gift ideas in the process! If there are any shops that I missed, please comment and let me know. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it 🙂