Shop Locally During the Holiday Season

Last year, my annoyance with national chain stores that cut into the Thanksgiving holiday by starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night led me to post a series of suggestions on Facebook about locally-owned small businesses where people might want to shop instead. Apparently, the national chain stores were not deterred by my efforts, as they started their Black Friday sales even earlier on Thanksgiving this year. So I once again began posting pictures and information on my Facebook page about various locally-owned stores that offer alternatives to shopping at the national chains. It's been suggested that people who read my Sacramento Vegan blog might be interested in these postings too, especially since some of the posts will contain a vegan-interest component. So starting today, you can find a series of daily blog posts here that will highlight local stores where you just might be able to find gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list.


One of my favorite gift shops in Sacramento is Zanzibar, located at the corner of 18th and L in Midtown. Zanzibar is a fair trade store offering beautiful jewelry, art, and handicrafts from all over the world. It was closed for remodeling for a few months, and during that time, the owners went on an international buying trip. They have lots of new merchandise, with more coming in every day. Take a look at their Facebook page to see some of the treasures they have available for sale.

If someone on your holiday shopping list has a gluten allergy, you may want to put together a gift basket for them with items from the Gluten Free Specialty Market on J Street in Midtown. They have an amazing selection of gluten-free food, beverages, and beauty products, as well as a very helpful staff. Not only that, they have an impressive selection of vegan items too, in case there's a vegan on your holiday shopping list. Just sayin'...