By Maler Suresh
Photo credit: stepoutbuffalo.com
The gift-giving time of year is almost upon us, and with that comes a hunt for the perfect, personalized gift to give. While Amazon might be the one stop shop for all your gifts this season, especially because of the pandemic, consider buying your gifts from locally owned businesses. Many small businesses in Buffalo have gone online in order to stay afloat as they are hit by the economic impact of the pandemic. Even so, many businesses are losing a lot of money this holiday season, and may be forced to close. Instead of buying something from a chain, a gift from a small business can arguably be way more special and personalized, so here’s a list of some great locally owned businesses to buy from this holiday season.
Clothing/Jewelry
Boutiques:
- Anna Grace
- Apricot Lane Boutique
- Black Monarchy
-boutique that curates clothing and jewelry from around the globe
- Blush
- Classic Knot
– custom bow ties sold by a 13 year old CEO
- Half and Half
- RuthAnn Boutique
Apparel
- Banky Girl Creations
– comfortable clothing for moms on the go; a percentage of profits are donated to Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo each month
- Buffalo Fleece and Outerwear
- Gear for Adventure
- KLR Designs
- Queen City Vintage
-vintage Bills and Sabres gear
Jewelry
- Franci Jewelry
- Indie Twenty Showroom
- Rove Jewelry
Kids
- Jack and Gray Kids
- Main and Downing
- Pumpkins
Food
- Blue Table Chocolates
- Buffalo Artisan Food Traders
-specialty market and eCommerce shop offering over 100+ Western New York food Brands
- Chenez’s Popcorn LLC
- Cup of Communitea
- Four Legs Treats
-homemade treats for dogs and horses
- Ko-Ed Candies
- Nikki’s Chocolates
- The Sweet Whisk
- What’s Pop-In Gourmet Popcorn
Entertainment
- Black Dots
-record store
- Burning Books
- Busy Bee Bookstore
- Clayton’s Toys
- JaQ and Jen’s Urban Book Store
- Mom Skateshop
- Snowflake Ski Shop
- The TreeHouse Toy Store
Beauty/Wellness
- Beauty Organix
- Buffalo Gal Organics
-build your own beauty box
- Stephanie’s Naturals
-naturally made soaps, laundry detergents, and skincare products
- The Bathe Store
- Martinsville Soapworks
Home
- Blue Rooster
- Buffalo Scents
- Marcie’s Scents
- Nest in the Village
- Nigh Road
- Ro Home Shop
- Sainte-Foy
- Tesori
- The Plant Shack
- White Dog Vintage
Art
- Hyatt’s All Things Creative
- Macrame by Nadeen
-handmade macrame wall hangings and plant hangers
- ShopCraft
-Buffalo gallery and gift shop containing 100% local artists
- Stitch Buffalo
-handcrafted goods sewn by refugee women in Buffalo
- The Left-Handed Bandit
Markets
- August Market
-a boutique that brings “slow fashion,” sustainable products to WNY
- Beulah’s General Store
- Dovi and Girls’ African Market
- Everything Elmwood
- Finishing Touches
- Four Honey Bees Cottage
- Lodgical Country Store
- Molly and Kate
- Sunshine and Bluebirds
- Ten Thousand Villages
-global maker‑to‑market movement that sells ethically-sourced wares in an attempt to break the cycle of generational poverty
- The Rusty Button Shop
- Thin Ice
Build Your Own Buffalo Themed Gift
- Buffalo2U (buffalo2u.com)
-send someone a box full of items from local artisans, restaurants, and shops to support Buffalo businesses while giving gifts you know people will love
