With the economy slowly on the rebound and holiday sales projected to be soft, attracting customers to locally-owned businesses will be more important this “season of giving” than ever before.

There are numerous reasons to “veer away” from big box chain retailers and restaurants, chaotic shopping malls and Amazon.com, and instead make a conscious effort to spend with locally-owned establishments. The most compelling is that you “the shopper” can make a positive impact right here in Hampton Roads.

According to the Retail Alliance, small independent businesses pay 45% of the total US payroll and generate nearly 80% of new jobs. Small operations employing under 100 people provide work for 41 million of their fellow countrymen. 

And did you know, roughly 68 cents of every dollar spent locally stays in the community. 

Below, we offer you a cornucopia of alternate ideas for holiday gift giving ranging from purchasing museum memberships and performing arts ticket packages to pampering spas and funky stocking stuffers, unique clothing options and home furnishings to jewelry and  other items. We encourage you to forgo Applebee’s gift certificates and select from hundreds of great neighborhood restaurants. Give a Naro Expanded Cinema ticket book to your favorite movie buff, have your local record and book store place an order instead of “clicking your mouse,” and make yourself feel good in the process! Throwing a holiday party? Visit places like Taste Unlimited first, and serve Virginia-made wine, beer and food.

We won’t itemize a “Santa’s list,” but simply hope to inspire you to first consider where and how you spend your shopping dollars. If everyone in Hampton Roads purchased one less item through online sources, think of the difference it would make. Sure you may be slightly inconvenienced, but think of the power you’re unleashing.

Now, we’ll point you in the right direction. Have at it! 

Neighborhood Shopping

I was raised in Chesapeake and I consider much of my former city of residence to be a cultural wasteland where the sign of progress seems to be measured in how many new Starbuck’s, Subway delis, Walgreen’s and Target locations can be built. And they – whoever “they” are – call that development.

I personally find the Ghent section of Norfolk to be a mini utopia. The whole vibe says “they get it.” Ghent is easily navigated and has a concentration of locally-owned business along Colley Avenue and 21^st Street.

Consider The Palace Shops and the adjoining Palace Station zone on 21^st and 20^th streets. There you’ll find everything from jewelry (Texture/McCormack & Puryear/Gypsy D’s/Hi Ho Silver) and men’s clothing (Provisions/The Quality Shops) to modern furniture (Decorum), bikes (Conte’s), unique gifts (Mystic Mermaid/Texture) and women’s fashion (NYFO Boutique/Melange).

Also in Ghent, Harbor Gallery features such gift items as soap stones, “Heartfull Designs” jewelry from Virginia Beach artist Pam Kossman and paintings. There’s Commonwealth for the 20-something hipster, Russell’s Music World has musical instruments, Skinnee’s sells music, DVDs and T-shirts, numerous antique stores, Running Etc, Local Hero Comics and furnishing from the Provence region of France.

Beyond Ghent, La Promenade and Hilltop are excellent concentrations of locally-owned businesses. Destination locations such as Birdland Music (Virginia Beach) and Fantasy (Newport News) are great for music and unique glass, swords and figurines; The Heritage Book Store (Virginia Beach) has tons of new age items; Wild River Outfitters (Virginia Beach) has great hiking, kayaking and camping gear; Prince Books (Norfolk) has, well, BOOKS. You get the idea!

Complete article click here