Features: Everybody's Business • Bruce Johansen

Thinking outside the mall
Spread holiday cheer from local shops—with unique gifts!

Last month many of us queued up in community centers and schools. Guided by our values, we went to the polls to voice support for certain candidates and weigh in on ballot questions. Now, with the holiday season in full swing, we find ourselves with yet another opportunity to make selections based on our values. In this case, we'll be voting with our dollars.

One reason to vote independent this December (i.e., shop at local, independently-owned businesses) is a purely selfish one. If, like me, you're drained by the thought of fighting the throngs at malls or big-box stores or struggling to navigate carts down crowded aisles, consider more pleasant, and far more interesting, alternatives.

Photo: Julie Wiatt

Tired after a day of local shopping? Stop by Da Marco for a glass of wine and some old world comfort food.

A second reason to buy local this season is that it gives you a voice in shaping the kind of community you want.

According to Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, independent retailers generally depend on the four weeks after Thanksgiving for 25 percent of their annual sales. She calls this a "make or break" period for many of them. By electing to shop at local independent stores, you're not only helping them stay afloat, you're also making a statement about what you value.

Keep in mind that dollars spent at locally-owned stores re-circulate far more widely than those spent at chain retail outlets. Studies by the group Civic Economics show that out of every $100 going to a local business, $45 stay in the community, compared with only $13 of every $100 spent at a chain store.

Roz Grigsby, executive director of the Old Takoma Business Association (OTBA), observes that area residents cite local shopping districts as one of the features they most value about their community. Because of that, she asks people to consider what Old Takoma, for example, would be like without the businesses that line its streets. "We need to support what we say we care about," she adds.

A change in consciousness?

Photo: Julie Wiatt

Julie Paez, Bodhi, and Pennye Jones-Napier of the Big Bad Woof, can help you find the perfect presents for the furry members of your family.

Mitchell and Grigsby are both encouraged by what they see as a shift in people's thinking...and shopping habits.

Mitchell credits "buy local" efforts, normally spearheaded by independent business alliances, for heightened awareness. Up against the enormous advertising budgets of chains, she says, local business owners have discovered that the best use of their marketing dollars is to band together and develop such campaigns. Through posters, decals, and other relatively inexpensive tools, customers loyal to one independent business--say, a video store--often become aware of the value of supporting them across the board, notes Mitchell.

Another reason for the shift, Grigsby speculates, is that people have decided that it's not nice being "malled." As they tire of the anonymity of shopping malls, big-box stores, and online shopping, their appreciation of face-to-face engagement in smaller shops has grown. In many cases this has led to a rediscovery of what drew them to their community in the first place.

In South Silver Spring, David Fogel, project manager at Gateway Georgia Avenue Revitalization Corporation, sees "a real intention to present, cultivate, and nurture a unique experience" among residents and business owners of that corridor.

Currently involved in launching a South Silver Spring Merchants Association, Fogel says that shopping locally makes sense on multiple levels. "The most important thing is creating a unique sense of place, because that's what keeps people rooted. And when people are rooted and there's growth at the same time, it leads to a consistent economic stream, which is good for everyone."

Some local choices

Support talented artisans in developing countries: Entering its second holiday season is The Culture Shop in Takoma, DC. Its proprietor, Takoma Park, Maryland resident Mona Davies, was a buyer for the Smithsonian's museum shops and catalogue for 13 years. When things began changing drastically at the Smithsonian after the 2000 presidential election, Davies chose to leave and follow a dream that some have told her she's had as far back as college.

Photo: Julie Wiatt

Mona and Valentine Davies, the owners of Culture Shop, offer unique gift possibilities from around the world.

Conveniently located next to the Takoma Metro Station, the Culture Shop offers items from indigenous people around the globe, including the United States. Wandering the store you'll find scarves, hats, purses, lamps, bath products, books and cards, tree ornaments and wall hangings. You'll also find journals and books, candles and vases, coffees and teas, and various foods. Everything in the store is purchased according to Fair Trade Federation standards. This means that a fair portion of what you spend goes directly to craftspeople, rather than to large corporations. Davies stresses that none of the craft items in her store are mass-produced; this in contrast to chains like Pier One, which typically purchase an item from an indigenous craftsperson once and then mass-produce that item at low cost and with a high profit margin for the company.

The enticing environment of the store--and the friendliness of its owner--make shopping at the Culture Shop an enjoyable experience. Appealing, too, is the range of prices, something that passersby may not realize until once inside. Also of note: Teaching for Change, which operates Busboys & Poets Books at 14th Street, NW in DC, offers a nice selection of progressive books at the Culture Shop.

Davies says that her shop needs a good season. When she selected her location it was with the knowledge that her neighbors are socially and politically conscious. She would like to be proven right about that.

The Culture Shop: 341 Cedar Street / 202-726-2211. Hours: 11-7 Tues-Fri, 11-6 Sat, 11-5 Sun, closed on Mondays. www.cultureshop.com/store.html

Support local artists: Beginning its second season on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Alchemy features work by 122 artists, many from Silver Spring and the tri-state area. Employee Beatrice "Kitty" Moulin stresses the affordability of many of the items in the store. All hand-crafted, the artists themselves set the prices.

Photo: Tooky Bunnag

Alchemy, in South Silver Spring, offers a variety of gifts for the creative person on your list.

Beautiful, funny, political, quirky, Alchemy has something for every taste, including: fused glass and jewelry, handmade shoes and clothing, mezuzahs and photographs, wall hangings and finger puppets, handmade cards and silk bird tree ornaments. You'll also find small, wooden boxes featuring quotable quotes of George W. Bush. In addition to items by area artists, there are a variety of pieces--including hand-crafted furniture--from Asian and African nations scattered throughout the store. One item you're not likely to find anywhere else: sweaters by Lee Andersen, designer of Bill Cosby's attire for The Cosby Show.

Moulin says that most people discover the shop when driving by, through word-of-mouth, or after dining at nearby restaurants like Crisfield, then return after delighting in the array of objects they find. Besides the shop, owner Brenda Smoak, her staff, and local artists appear at two outdoor markets in Silver Spring each month. On the second and fourth Saturday of each month you'll find them at Arts Alley between Mayorga Coffee Factory and Moorenko's Ice Cream Cafe. On first and third Saturdays they set up tents at the intersection of Georgia and Wayne Avenues.

Alchemy has recently added a second space, in Takoma Park's Sangha.

Alchemy: 8025 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring / 301-565-2262 / and 7014 Westmoreland Ave., Takoma Park. Hours: 12-5 Tues, Wed, Fri, 12-7 Thurs, 10-5 Sat, 12-4 Sun, closed on Mondays. www.artandalchemy.com

Support fair labor practices through fun and games: This is the first holiday season in Old Town Takoma Park for A Fair Day's Play, a store that has been so responsive to community wishes that its focus has changed since opening five months ago. Owner Robert Pleasure, a labor consultant, remains committed to offering only items produced by workers who have fundamental rights; in other words, union made and fair trade sports, games, and toys. But his son Ben, the store's purchasing and sales director, says that the original plan to sell mostly sports merchandise has shifted since the doors opened. What he and his father learned was that customers wanted board games and children's books--and that Takoma Park has a sizeable community looking for Dungeons & Dragons paraphernalia and cult board games.

Phott: Julie Wiatt

Robert Pleasure, proprietor of Fair Day's Play, provides an array of "fair trade" toys, games and sporting goods.

While the store carries most of the old standbys, including Monopoly, it specializes in games stressing cooperative values that you're unlikely to find at its chain store competitors. The store also has its own tester. Ben's 13-year-old brother—accompanied by friends—has the fun of trying items out and offering opinions. This serves as a gauge of what might prove popular.

That they carry games and toys in every price range, from $2.00 to $100, is what Ben Pleasure emphasizes. It's a misconception, he adds, that places like Wal-Mart or Target offer the best prices and selection. What customers get at A Fair Day's Play, he stresses, is a higher quality product at as reasonable a price. As a shopper, you'll also benefit from the kind of personalized service--provided by people who know and care about what they sell--that you're unlikely to find at chain or big-box stores. Among other services, A Fair Day's Play offers free gift-wrapping. One item you'll unlikely find anyplace else? Handmade wooden Chesapeake Thunder baseball bats made in Eastern Maryland.

Fair Day's Play: 7500 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park / 301-270-4999. Hours: Wed-Fri 11-7, Sat-Sun 10-5

Support a local pop culture emporium: It hasn't always been known as Alliance Comics & Games. For most of its 28-year history, the downtown Silver Spring store was Geppi's and it sold strictly comic books. That all changed five years ago when owners Amy and Jerry McNeil purchased the shop and began a major makeover.

Manager Troy Allen and clerk David Dean say that things changed in more ways than one. The store was cleaned up, the retail space expanded to two floors, and the range of merchandise grew. Now, instead of being a comic book store, Allen and Dean describe Alliance as pop culture central. While standard American comics remain best-selling items, Japanese comics (manga), animation (anime), and pop music (J-pop), as well as DVDs, t-shirts, toys, and role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, are all strong sellers as well. For the holiday season, other merchandise is added, including new action figures, statues, movies, and books, like the Harry Potter series.

Both Allen and Dean credit downtown's revitalization with drawing new customers to the store. Most of that business has come from people who've parked nearby and stumbled across Alliance while walking towards the downtown core. Others, they say, find it through the stores' web site, word-of-mouth, or through give-aways in conjunction with movie premiers, including Superman Returns, X-Men 3, and the most recent Harry Potter, all at the Majestic Theaters.

Allen emphasizes that this store's not just for kids, that it has something for everyone. Besides, he says, comic books and graphic novels are mostly written for adults. Dean, who began shopping at the store as a child (he's now 23), stresses efficiency, saying that shoppers can find anything pop culture related at Alliance. He also finds it a great place for artists like himself to learn about the industry.

Alliance Comics & Games: 8317 Fenton Street, Silver Spring / 301-588-2546. Hours: Mon-Fri 12-8, Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5. www.myspace.com/alliancomics

Simplify the holidays: The Center for a New American Dream has assembled a brochure containing practical tips for "a holiday with more joy and less stuff." It's available through the Takoma Park-based organization's online bookstore, which you can find at: www.newdream.org

We know there are many more great local retailers in our area fitting every taste, budget and interest on your list. We just couldn't fit them all! So hit the streets and discover the unique shops that will make your gift-giving more memorable.

No comments have been posted to this article.

Want to post a comment to this article? Click here.