Tag: Shop Local

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Gift Memphis: Think Local this Season — Here Are Some Ideas

Do you really want to fight Black Friday crowds and support big-box retailers when we’ve got tons of cool, affordable, locally made and sold gifts available throughout the city? We didn’t think so. To help you tick some items off your shopping list, we’ve compiled a few hyper-local options for you — for an Alternative Black Friday, if you will — with favorite shops, items, makers, and more, to cover even the hardest-to-buy-for folks.

COOPER-YOUNG HAUL

Before you hit that “place your order” button, remember Amazon paid no federal taxes last year, its billionaire founder had the gall to cut health-care benefits for some employees this year, and — most importantly — Amazon is not Memphis AF (like, at all).

Cooper-Young is, in fact, Memphis AF. The neighborhood’s mix of restaurants and shops makes for a perfect, big-city shopping experience. Gleam in the season’s glow as you hustle your holiday gift bags across Cooper-Young’s new rainbow-pride crosswalk.

Plan your shopping spree for Saturday, November 30th. That’s Small Business Saturday, and some C-Y businesses have teamed up for a day of giveaways, drawings, and special deals and discounts. Ten lucky winners will go home with gift boxes worth more than $100 each. Need some C-Y gift ideas? We did some scouting for you. — Toby Sells

Fox + Cat Vintage: Forget fast fashion. This fashion boutique offers a lovingly curated closet of styles and tastes from a 1920s-era flapper girl hat ($150) to an ’80s-style jean jacket with a collection of amazing patches ($112).

Toby Sells

Fox + Cat Vintage

Young Avenue Deli: Barbecue is Memphis’ civic dish. If it had one, the Deli’s french fries might be the culinary standard for Midtown. I took two orders to a holiday potluck once. Folks laughed, but nary a fry was left. And let’s not even talk about those cheese sticks. Walls of craft beer, one-of-a-kind sandwiches, wings … get a gift card for anyone on your list.

Grivet Outdoors: This new outdoor shop has what Memphis needs to run, hike, climb, hunt, fish, or just about anything else. Don’t have an outdoorsy type on your list this year? How about someone who has to go outside in the wet Memphis winter? Try the waterproof duck boots from Sorel (men’s, $155; women’s, $120).

901 Comics: Thanks to a zillion Marvel movies, we know one thing: We’re all comic book nerds. 901 Comics has walls full of superheroes you know, like Batman and Iron Man, and some you might not know, like Bloodshot and Count Crowley. But the store has more than books. Think action figures, figurines, posters, games, shirts, masks, and more. Also, check out the R2-D2 toaster ($34) or the Death Star cheese board ($45) for the food geek in your life.

Toby Sells

901 Comics

Buff City Soap: Give your morning routine a local upgrade: Buff City Soap opened in Cooper-Young last year. All of the products are made in-house. So when they offer a bar of soap called Midtown Phunk, they know what they’re talking about. But it ain’t all bath bombs and body butters. Get that unruly scruff under control with Ferocious Beast beard oil ($15) or Shave and a Haircut beard balm ($15).

Toby Sells

Buff City Soap

Cooper-Young Gallery & Gift Shop: It’s an art gallery. It’s a gift shop. It’s a creative workspace. Sometimes the owners call it the “Cute Shop.” It all makes sense when you walk inside. Want to paint Ruth Bader Ginsberg by numbers? The kit will set you back $22. Pick up some stocking-stuffers like 38104-ever magnets ($3) or mugs ($15). There’s way more to discover in this perfectly eclectic, satisfyingly tidy little shop.

Burke’s Books: The Burke’s holiday window is a C-Y tradition. Neighbors make annual treks just to see what yuletide treat awaits them there. Inside the store is a book-lover’s treat year ’round — new releases, photo books, kids books, and more. Burke’s specializes in rare and collectible books, like a nice leather-bound copy of Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls ($18).

VINTAGE FINDS

For 35 years, Flashback has been the vintage place to go. Shoppers can find oodles of kitschy, cheesy delights — items of perfect pop culture, things so bad they’re good (ugly Christmas sweaters), designs you’d never have in your house until you realize you have to have them. But mostly you’ll find wondrous objects of beauty and rarity. Some are new, and many wear their age remarkably well: lovely backlit lithophane porcelains, frequently tasteful glassware and dishes, jewelry, singular shoes and clothing, including rude socks. There are Danish mobiles and bookmarks made from filmstrips (The Wizard of Oz is very popular). Elvii are everywhere.

Jon W. Sparks

Flashback

Proprietor Millett Vance has an eye for items that are just right, for yourself or as gifts for your wide range of friends and family. And she knows the price point you’re looking for. “Everyone looks for presents for people, and they end up buying something for themselves.”

Flashback is at 2304 Central, with the seated mannequin and pink flamingos al fresco. 272-2304. flashbackmemphis.com.

— Jon W. Sparks

SILVER BELLS

In her days at Memphis College of Art, Tootsie Bell wasn’t particularly thinking about becoming a silversmith. She needed a job, and a friend at a jewelry store hooked her up. She loves woodworking and sculpture as well, particularly when it’s at a bigger scale than the usual silver projects she does daily. That got her some commissions for public art, which you can see around town. But go into her shop — she’s been at it for 24 years — and look at the work on display. You’ll see a wonderful attention to detail. If you really want to take it to the next level, have her make some jewelry for you.

Tootsie Bell Silversmith

“My work, whether it’s large or small, has a theme to it,” Bell says. “I like there to be a meaning or a narrative behind it. When I work with customers, I like to get a background, a story of either the person that I’m making the piece for or something like that.”

And if you have a hankering to create some of your own baubles, she can help with that, too. She offers classes on how to craft a piece of jewelry. At present, she teaches four students at a time. “I help them come up with what they want to make and assist when I need to,” Bell says. “You make it and take it home.” When the new year gets underway, she’ll have more classes to accommodate bigger projects. She also offers gift cards, so you can let the giftee choose how they want to take the classes.

Tootsie Bell Silversmith is at 4726 Poplar. 763-4049. quenchstudiomemphis.com. — JWS

BLACK LODGE AND CHILL

After the temperature drops and the hyper-social holiday season winds down, your loved ones are going to want to spend some time quality time in their living room this winter.

If you’re looking for gifts to help you chill, the first place to go is Black Lodge. The independent video store that graced Cooper-Young for 14 years has recently reopened in a new space in Crosstown — and not a moment too soon. The Netflix-led streaming video revolution that put video stores out of business in the last decade is rapidly becoming fragmented and expensive. With the launch of Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV (to name a few), you have to subscribe to multiple services to get what you want. That’s where the Lodge comes in. Its selection of almost 30,000 titles dwarfs Netflix, and the knowledgeable staff will help you discover new movies and TV shows you may have overlooked. Gift recipients can use their Black Lodge gift cards to pay for the $10 per month membership or to snag something from the ever-expanding lineup of cool Lodge merch.

Justin Fox Burks

If reading is more your friend’s speed, Two Rivers Bookstore has a curated selection of science-fiction and fantasy books, such as Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the acclaimed sequel to the author’s dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale. Two Rivers also carries local art and jewelry, and if your gift target is into tabletop role-playing games, you can get Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks and dice bags made in-store.

For the “chill” part, the place to go is Wizard’s. The Midtown smoke shop now carries six brands and 13 flavors of CBD flower for your stress-relief needs. To really take the edge off healthily, a Pax 3 or Firefly flower vaporizer will get you there without the cough and smell. Or you can go whole-hog and invest in the newest of the pioneering Volcano vaporizer line.

Wizard’s

Then again, maybe your loved one’s “chill” is more euphemistic. In that case, a visit to Coco & Lola’s lingerie shop is in order. They are the exclusive Memphis home to the Kilo Brava line of teddies, bustiers, and exquisite two- and three-piece lace bra and panty sets.

You won’t regret it when you see your loved one slip into a silk kimono, pop in a Blu-Ray, hit the vape, and let the magic happen. — Chris McCoy

WORK IT

My sister said she had a surprise for me. My only instructions: wear athletic clothes and show up to the provided address at a certain time. I pulled up to a small building on Flicker Street. It was Recess 901, a local gym that bills itself as providing a “diverse, curated fitness experience.” Inside, I was met by Nick Davis, one of the instructors. My surprise was a one-on-one, 30-minute boxing class with him. With his guidance, I hooked and jabbed my way through the session. Beginning in December, Davis will lead small-group boxing classes through a program called Go Boxing & Fitness. The eight-person sessions, featuring boxing training and bodyweight exercises, are designed to enhance one’s mental and physical state.

Justin Fox Burks

Recess 901

Davis believes the small-group format is optimal for boxing and brings out “healthy, natural competition. Go Boxing & Fitness not only changes your body,” he says. “It changes your mind, your attitude, and your mood.”

There are plenty of gifts like this one around town for the fitness junkies, as well as the outdoor lovers, in your life. For the runners, Fleet Feet has gear and accessories at all price points. From hoodies for cold days to reflective vests for night running to the best running shoe, it’s all there. Or help your loved ones reach new heights at Highpoint Rock Climbing and Fitness. The gym offers gift cards, so you can give the gift of bouldering and belaying. Finally, do you know anyone in need of a kayak, tent, or bike? Outdoors Inc. has everything for the outdoor adventurers on your list. — Maya Smith

UNUSUAL MERCH

For many musicians, the travails of touring can leave you in the lurch, unless you’re crafty with unorthodox merch. Music fans need only stroll over to the merchandise table. The expeditionary noise band Nonconnah, for example, can always make up for a low door take by selling jars of homemade jam or pickles. If they shared a bill with Neighborhood Texture Jam (NTJ), who’ve been known to shower the audience with Slim Jims, you could have a full meal. Then wash it down when seeing Seance Fiction, from Florence, Alabama, who have offered packets of powdered beverage mix in a Dixie cup sporting the words, “Drink the Kool Aid! Join the Cult!”

For all your romantic needs, merch of a more intimate nature can be had. The Rhythm Hounds, Fuck (the band), and NTJ have all offered underwear emblazoned with the group’s logo or name, though in the latter case, it was adult diapers. But Fuck, long hailed as kings of wacky merch, took intimate fandom to a new level by getting inside your eyelids: a camera flash, masked with a stencil of the band name, could be set off in your face, thus burning the word into your retina for a good 10 minutes. Oh, joy!

Some unorthodox merch actually honors the music. When the Lost Sounds were just another struggling combo in need of a deal, Alicja Trout would hand-paint CD-Rs of their albums, each one unique (and highly collectable now). And for those who love the lyrics of Cory Branan, he’ll write them out by hand on acid/lignin-free archival paper. One fan framed the words to his “Sour Mash” alongside two Prohibition-era prescriptions for bourbon.

Alicja Trout handpainted CD

So when you’re out at a show, be sure to peruse the merch table, perchance to discover that perfect gift for the music fan who has everything. — Alex Greene

PETS, ART, & ‘CUE

Personally, I love shopping for friends and family, so when they tell me they have everything they need, I take it as a challenge. It’s fun to defy your giftee’s expectations and give someone something nice that they wouldn’t normally get for themselves, doubly so when you’re supporting a local business with your purchasing power. So let’s get started.

Sure, the pet supply store Hollywood Feed has grown big enough to take a St. Bernard-sized bite out of the national market, but the first Hollywood Feed opened on Hollywood and Chelsea in Memphis in the ’50s, and the company still keeps its headquarters here. That’s local enough for me. And because even the most selfless or Spartan family members will at least pamper their pets, the store is a great place to shop for people who are, well, hard to shop for.

Justin Fox Burks

Hollywood Feed

What’s more, the friendly folks at Hollywood Feed are knowledgeable and understanding. A month ago, when, after adopting a kitten, I wandered inside in a daze, my head buzzing with questions about litter (clumping? non-clumping?) and food (grain-free or not?), the staff patiently walked me through the ins and outs of what I needed to keep my newly rescued furry friend safe and satisfied. Compared to that, shopping for my family’s fur-babies is a varitible romp in the puppy park. I just scoop up some dog toys and handmade treats from the animal-safe bakery, and I can mark a few folks off my list.

When it comes to local, Art Center knows what’s up. The full-service art supply store opened in 1974 and has plenty of experience helping Memphians with their custom framing, paints, charcoals, decoupage, and more. And since the owners require their employees to have a strong background in art, says general manager Jimmy Sanders, the staff is qualified to help even the most hapless of customers. Their prices span the spectrum, too, so you can stuff a stocking without unstuffing your wallet, or spoil your little Michelangelo in training to your heart’s content. Next!

My brother-in-law lives in Middle Tennessee, and he loves to cook. So I’ve been buying him barbecue sauce and dry seasoning every Christmas for seven years because, while you can get decent barbecue fixings out east, you can’t get Memphis barbecue sauce anywhere else.

Though I mix up which sauce I buy from year to year, The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison has been winning awards for 32 years, with a 50-year-old sauce recipe that dates back to Brady & Lil’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant, making it a shoo-in for my brother-in-law’s stocking.

Justin Fox Burks

The Bar-B-Q Shop

For bonus points, round out your holiday haul with something seasonably sessionable to sip from one of the local breweries, some coffee from one of the Bluff City’s local roasters, a little something to nibble from The Peanut Shoppe at 24 S. Main, and some candles from Maggie’s Pharm.

Boom! You’ve got yourself a very Memphis holiday basket.

— Jesse Davis

TREASURE HUNT

I’ve always been a big fan of flea markets and arts festivals — you just never know what types of one-of-a-kind treasures you’ll find. The hunt is where the excitement lies, and it’s even more exciting when you’re directly supporting local creators.

This season, WinterArts brings a bit of that thrill with a showcase of functional and decorative work from nearly 50 of the region’s top artists, including several based right here in Memphis: Dorothy Northern (jeweler); Bryan Blankenship, Lisa Hudson, Becky Ziemer, and David James Johnson (ceramics); Felcitas Sloves, (fiber: weaving); Cheryl Hazelton (wood: marquetry); and others.

WinterArts

Treasure hunters will find handmade work crafted in glass, metal, wood, fiber, and clay. Think beautiful cuff bracelets, vases, wooden trinket boxes, ornaments, and more. Participating artists will have video at their booths, providing visitors virtual demonstrations of their creation process.

WinterArts

WinterArts is presented by ArtWorks Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to help artists grow and thrive. In its 11th year, WinterArts runs November 30th through December 24th at 888 White Station (between Poplar and Park, next to Bed Bath & Beyond). Browse the wares for unique gifts Mondays-Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. — Shara Clark

ELVIS SOCKS

In “Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me,” Elvis sings, “Fill my sock with candy.” Now, you can fill Elvis socks with — your feet. Lansky Bros. at The Peabody sells socks with Elvis’ likeness on them. Elvis playing guitar. Elvis in his “Jailhouse Rock” pose. You even can get black, pink, and white socks — the argyle type Elvis wore in some of his 1950s photos. He probably bought those socks at Lanksy back in the day.

Justin Fox Burks

Lansky Bros.

The black socks with the gold lightning bolt on them are their biggest sellers, says owner Hal Lansky. They’re inscribed with “TCB.”

“If you’re an Elvis fan, you’ll know what it means,” Lansky says. “Even if you’re not, you will.”

The socks, which are very comfortable, sell for $25 and $27.50. They’re fit for a king. Or the King. “Elvis is still the King,” Lansky says. “You know that.”

After the lucky gift recipient wears these Elvis socks, he’ll probably decide to hang up all his other socks and stick with these. He might want a complete selection of Elvis socks. Then he can have a blue Christmas, a green Christmas, an orange Christmas, a red Christmas — you name it. These socks come in various colors.

— Michael Donahue

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News News Feature

Shop Local: Downtown

This holiday season, we’re encouraging our readers to support local businesses and consider these and others for their gift-giving needs.

Lansky Bros.

Since the 1940s, Lansky Bros. has attracted attention from greats like B.B. King and Elvis Presley. Presley loved the clothing so much he told Bernard Lansky he’d wind up buying the store. He never did, but he faithfully acquired his wardrobe from the shop, which now offers a Clothier to the King line. Although these On Running Cloud shoes ($129.99) aren’t part of the line, the lucky recipient of this gift could say, “Don’t step on my blue running shoes.” Available at Lansky (126 Beale, 149 Union) or online at lanskybros.com.

National Civil Rights Museum

The civil rights movement during the 1960s in Memphis brought on tumultuous times with riots, fires, protests, and the assassination of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today, the Museum celebrates how far we’ve come with this Celebrate Diversity mug ($12.99). Available at the National Civil Rights Museum Gift Shop (450 Mulberry).

Stock & Belle

It’s about to be a new decade, and what better way to mark the occasion than to hang up a Memphis-themed calendar? Each page in the Memphis Magic 2020 calendar ($40) features well-known local landmarks, painted in watercolor by Erika Roberts, and lists of events and famous Memphians’ birthdays. Available at Stock & Belle (387 S. Main).

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We Recommend We Recommend

Pop-Up Shop and Memphis Sandwich Clique Meet Up this Sunday

CREDIT: Jason Payton

Looking for unique, locally made holiday gifts for friends and family? Or perhaps just a delicious sandwich? The Planet’s Finest Gift Shop, a CBD dispensary and art dealer fusion store, provides a one-stop shop this Sunday with their Holidays Pop-Up Shop and Memphis Sandwich Clique Meet Up.

A number of vendors will set up shop in the neighboring parking lots, offering wares including original canvas artworks, candles, quirky crocheted hats, and crafts made by artist C. Young (the artist behind the University of Memphis Tiger sculptures seen around town) and 14 others.

Jason Payton

Pop-up shop features local art.

Guests will also be able to explore the shop’s museum-esque wall of visual art for sale and brand-new apparel room while checking out CBD products that are produced in-house.

Outside, the popular Facebook group Memphis Sandwich Clique, of which Jason Payton (co-founder of The Planet’s Finest) is a moderator, will be hosting a meet-up for their first battle of the buns. Bain Barbecue (barbecue sandwiches) and Walking the Dog (made-from-scratch hotdogs and sausages) will ask for customers’ votes to help Clique members settle a hot debate.

“Half of the moderators think hot dogs are sandwiches, and the other half think they aren’t,” says Payton. “So we’re going to let our guests decide by voting on the best sandwich.”

While shopping and deciding whether or not a hotdog is indeed a sandwich, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a smorgasbord of electronic music from local artists like Brian Hamilton, Tree Riehl, and GuTTA KicK.

“The big thing that I want to push is bringing people together to do their holiday shopping with local artists and makers while supporting local art, whether that’s visual, musical, or culinary,” says Payton.

Holidays Pop-Up Shop/Memphis Sandwich Clique Meet Up, The Planet’s Finest Gift Shop, Sunday, November 3rd, 1-5 p.m., free. First 50 guests will receive free CBD flower pre-rolled joints.

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Shoppin’ on the River: Fall Night Market this Weekend

CREDIT: Fall Night Market/Facebook

Last November, River Garden Park opened along the Downtown riverfront where Mississippi River Park, a wide open field, used to be. Now with lots more to do within a beautiful setting, River Garden Park has been host to a number of events, such as Full Moon Kayaking, Tai Chi on the River, and the seasonal Night Market series.

Fall Night Market, the series’ fourth event organized by the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) and Memphis River Parks Partnership, will feature an outdoor market full of local vendors.

Fall Night Market/Facebook

Riverside Market

“Fall Night Market is uniquely Memphis with a beautiful riverfront setting,” says Penelope Huston of the DMC.

IV, Najee Strickland Designs, and Mili’s Flowers and Gifts are just a handful of vendors that will be selling their wares.

A performance by Relay of Voices will help provide a unique Bluff City experience. The collaborative group and relay team, led by executive and artistic director Victoria Bradford Styrbicki, has spent some time running (yes, running) 2,400 miles down the Mississippi River, stopping in and exploring around 100 communities to conduct “movement research” to study how people within those communities live around the body of water.

To show what they’ve learned, Relay of Voices will be performing a storytelling piece about their experiences on the Mississippi River and in Memphis. “We love showcasing local talent in this way,” Huston says. “We really like the idea of demonstrating how flexible the River Garden space is and how the park can be used in so many ways: fitness space, educational classroom, shopping and entertainment center, dance studio, kayak launch point, and more.”

Fall Night Market, River Garden Park, Friday, September 20th, 5-8 p.m., Free.

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News News Feature

Shop Local East

This holiday season, we’re encouraging our readers to support local businesses by shopping right here at home.

Frost Bake Shop

Cookies, cupcakes, pie — oh my! The dessert masters at Frost know how to satisfy a sweet tooth. For a gift or a gathering, pick up a heavenly decadent chocolate silk pie. The creamy smooth filling sits inside a deliciously flaky crust. Topped with lightly sweetened house-made whipped cream and grated chocolate, it’s sure to be a hit ($21). Visit Frost Bake Shop at 394 S. Grove Park or frostbakeshop.com.

Novel.

A good book is a great go-to for the hard-to-buy-for folks in your life. Fans of the long-shuttered Libertyland theme park might enjoy Images of Modern America: Libertyland by John Stevenson. This look at the park’s history — accompanied by a collection of photographs provided by former park employees, guests, and historians — will take your giftee on a roller coaster ride down memory lane. Visit Novel. at 387 Perkins Extended or novelmemphis.com.

Dinstuhl’s

Sour, salty, sweet, or decadent — whatever your craving, Dinstuhl’s homemade candies are the cure. Since 1902, the candy-makers at this Memphis institution have produced local favorites, such as their legendary Cashew Crunch toffee topped with flecks of coconut ($10.95/8 oz., $19.95/lb.). To purchase this or other delightful offerings, stop by one of three convenient locations (436 Grove Park, 7730 Poplar Avenue #3 in Germantown, or 5280 Pleasant View) or visit dinstuhls.com.

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Fashion Fashion Feature

Shop Local Downtown

This holiday season, we’re encouraging our readers to support local businesses by shopping right here at home. Consider these Memphis-area establishments for your gift-giving needs.

Sachë

Your giftees will sport their love for our city in style with Memphis-inspired T-shirts designed and screenprinted by the passionate people at Sachë. With 901 designs, skyline styles, and shirts supporting our grit-and-grind Grizzlies, these unique tees will please even your hard-to-buy-for friends. And “Hey, you guuuys!” we love this Goonies/Grizz mash-up; truffle shuffle optional ($25). Available at 525 South Main or sachedesign.com.

Stock&Belle

At this lifestyle store, shoppers can find men’s and women’s clothing, home goods, and made-in-Memphis items from Letters&Co, Rowdy Dept. by Kyle Taylor, Embrace Your Inner Memphis, Kreep Ceramics, and more. We’re fans of the tumbled marble coasters from ARCHd, creations of Memphis-born sisters Kristen and Lindsey Archer. A variety of coaster sets ($29) showcase some of the city’s most iconic views and spaces. Visit Stock&Belle on Facebook, instagram, or 387 S. Main.

Lansky Bros.

Dedicated Elvis fans will love this fashionable pair of Blue Suede Shoes ($155). The longtime Memphis retailer offers these and other Elvis-inspired garments for men, as well as stylish activewear, polos, and more — for both men and women. Pick a gift from Lansky, and the recipient will “Thank ya, thank ya very much.” Visit Lansky Bros. at 126 Beale Street inside the Hard Rock Cafe, 149 Union Avenue inside The Peabody Hotel, or lanskybros.com.

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Cover Feature News

When Black Friday Comes …

Philadelphia is the birthplace of our democracy, the city where our forefathers crafted the documents that form the architecture of our government. But few know that Philadelphia is also the birthplace of the term “Black Friday.” The phrase has been in use in Philly since 1961, where it was coined in response to the overwhelming pedestrian and vehicle traffic that resulted from thousands of shoppers hitting stores on the day after Thanksgiving.

It has since become shorthand for the day when retailers go into profitability for the year, i.e., “in the black.” And the day when retail capitalism goes into holiday overdrive. Stores used to open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, then 5 a.m., then 4 a.m. Now many stores open at midnight on Thursday.

It’s overhyped and overrated, but it’s coming, and whether you choose to avoid it or embrace it, the Flyer‘s got you covered. Our staff has come up with strategies to cope — stores where you won’t have to camp in a parking lot, great places to just go eat and drink and avoid it all (see “The D-List,” p. 43) — and we also have survival strategies (should you decide to take the plunge), war stories, and more. Enjoy. — Bruce VanWyngarden

Playing Small Ball

By Toby Sells

If crowds, competition, or corporations aren’t on your holiday wish list, then the traditional Black Friday is probably not for you. You may want to skip the insanity and hit the back roads to the smaller, local retailers. You probably won’t find that barn-sized flat-screen TV or the “must-have” toy, but there’s plenty to be found if you want to shop for unique gifts and keep your money close to home. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts Americans will spend $602.1 billion this year during the holiday months of November and December. That figure is just north of the 2012 gross domestic product of Saudi Arabia ($597 billion).

Economists say more money stays in local economies if it’s spent with a local business. A 2010 economic impact study from the University of Memphis said every dollar spent with a local business in Memphis has a $1.70 economic impact here.

Last year, nearly 140 million Americans shopped on Black Friday weekend and spent about $60 billion, according to the NRF. Most of that money was spent in department stores and online. With door-buster sales and multi-million-dollar ad campaigns (that now begin before the Halloween candy is all gone), major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and others win the lion’s share of holiday spending each year.

But small businesses are fighting for their piece of the pie with a national campaign of their own called Small Business Saturday. Buoyed with national support from the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and American Express, Small Business Saturday has earned national brand recognition and brought $5.6 billion in spending to small businesses last year, according to NFIB data.

The campaign is simple: Shop on the Saturday after Black Friday at small businesses in your community. American Express gives cardholders special deals on Small Business Saturday if they use the card and shop with a registered store.

If you’re not sure where to get started with your local Memphis shopping, here are three sure-fire honey holes:

South Main

South Main has become a Memphis fashion destination. It may be anchored by national retailer American Apparel, but it’s now home to lots of local shops.

K’PreSha Boutique (323 South Main) offers styles for men and women and has welcomed smaller shops to share their space on Small Business Saturday. Sachë (525 South Main) is an edgy boutique featuring a host of Memphis T-shirt designs, including the Tony Allen-inspired “Grindfather” shirt. Hoot + Louise (109 G.E. Patterson) has vintage, new, and handmade apparel and accessories and retro home goods such as vintage ashtrays and salt and pepper shakers.

Adding to the mix this year is Crazy Beautiful. The fashion-forward boutique’s permanent home is on Walker, close to the University of Memphis campus. Owner Eryka Smith opened the temporary pop-up shop at 387 South Main for RiverArtsFest in October but decided to stay through the holidays.

Overton Square

An explosion of new businesses in newly renovated spaces has transformed Overton Square into a hub for bars and restaurants, but retailers have flocked there, too, looking for the wining and dining foot traffic to bring shoppers through the door.

The Attic (2121 Madison) opened earlier this year with a collection of young, trendy clothes for men and women. Breakaway Running broke away from its Union location for new digs in Overton Square (2109 Madison) to offer a selection of athletic gear aimed at runners. Sew Memphis moved from Midtown this year to 2075 Madison and carries fabric, thread, needles, and more.

As a sort of reprise to last year’s MemShop at Overton Square, the Memphis Melange Etsy Team and Indie Style Market will open their Handmade Christmas Popup Shop (2090 Trimble) on Black Friday and will run it until December 29th. The shop will feature local jewelry, clothes, photography, candy, fragrances, art, and more.

Cooper-Young

The historically hip Midtown neighborhood and entertainment district is likely best known for its food and drink, but Cooper-Young has a diverse shopping scene, from the nationally known Urban Outfitters (2151 Central) to the local-as-it-gets Goner Records (2152 Young).

Kindred Spirit Style (2172 Young) is handbag central, but the shop also offers bath oils and soaps, Christmas ornaments, and more. Allie Cat Arts (961 S. Cooper) is a “funky, eclectic” art gallery and shop with fine art, pottery, glass, sculpture, and jewelry. Burke’s, one of the country’s oldest independently owned book stores, moved to Cooper-Young several years ago. The store always has a great holiday-themed front window display.

A sure-shot shopping trip in Cooper-Young may actually take place closer to Cooper and Central. Park your car and walk to clothiers Urban Outfitters, Wish and Langford Market, then to Toad Hall or Palladio for antiques.

 

In the Trenches

by Jackson Baker

Let me confess that for a spell of years I had some retail experience here in River City — working as a shoe dog at the now-defunct Thalhimers Department Store at the erstwhile Mall of Memphis, an edifice in Southeast Memphis now razed to the ground as history and commercial fashion have passed it by. It was something I did during a freelancing time between some political/governmental work in Washington and the resumption of a full-time journalism career here in Memphis. Don’t ask. We all have to undergo some … call it character-building.

And that, frankly, is putting the best face on retail sales. You do learn some things about yourself and about life at large and never more so than on a Black Friday.

Humility, for one thing. Are you one of those who gallantly professes a willingness to merely hew the wood and draw the water? Go to work on a shoe floor — or in any retail space on a big sale day. That’ll cure you.

The most obvious fact of such service is to be made aware of your utter insignificance in the scheme of things — save as a vehicle, and a none-too-appreciated one at that, for others’ wants and needs. Not that you don’t occasionally experience courtesy — and sometimes more — in the service of a customer. But rudeness is more common, and indifference as to who you are is the norm as you muscle your way through the grasping crowds and hustle back and forth between stockroom and sales floor, sometimes bearing the goods and sometimes not.

In the latter all-too-frequent case — merchandise is finite and does run out, after all — it is not uncommon to have to suffer a frustrated buyer’s abuse. And forget this at your peril: The customer is, indeed, Always Right. At Thalhimers, the edict was clear: Do not say no to any customer seeking to return an item for credit. Never mind if it’s a pair of shoes that’s worn through from years of wear. Never mind if it wasn’t purchased at your store or in your country or even in your century. Mark Greaney, the writer of thrillers, was a colleague at the time, and he and I used to joke about what we’d do if somebody came in with a broken tree branch and said, “I want my money back for this shoe!”

Everybody in the sales force I worked with was on commission, and, if there was a saving grace to the experience, it was an education as to how cutthroat competition and comradely relations could routinely coexist. For hours upon exhausting hours, the focused salespeople, moving at breakneck speed, could negotiate the narrow aisles of stockroom and sales floor and weave around and about each other, never colliding, never indulging in any absurd Alphonse-and-Gaston stops and starts. Showing no mercy, giving no quarter, and yet — getting along. Ah! My country, ’tis of thee!

Celebrate it or not, but Black Friday is, on both the buying and the selling ends, the American system in its most concentrated form.

Merry Blackmas

by Chris Davis

Black Friday should be celebrated as the most American of American holidays with shopping-related gifts chosen to make us better and more aggressive shoppers, to give us an edge over the competition. Here are my top five suggestions for the bargain hunter in your life.

1) The Tocky Rolling Alarm Clock: If you want to land the biggest Black Friday catches, you’re going to have to wake up earlier and angrier than the competition. The Tocky ensures you’ll never hit “snooze” again. When this obnoxiously loud alarm clock goes off, it rolls off your nightstand onto to the floor and spins away, ringing incessantly, forcing even the sleepiest heads to leap out of bed in hot pursuit. It’s a hunter’s clock, designed to wake the killer instinct. $50

2) Death Wish Coffee: Once your favorite shopper is awake and angry, he or she will want a nice, hot, steaming cup of joe to become more alert. I recommend Death Wish Coffee, which has about 520 mg of caffeine in every 12-ounce cup, making it roughly twice as powerful as anything you’ll get at Starbucks. How powerful is Death Wish? So powerful the entire back side of the package is a warning label. $19.95/pound

3) The Stun Master: This combination taser/flashlight looks like a tube of lipstick but is packed with 950,000 volts of twitching agony to dispense to those who cross you — or just miff you, for that matter. Although its use may result in a nasty lawsuit and possible incarceration, this easily concealed pain-dispenser pretty much guarantees that you will win all fights over limited-quantity sales items. $15.98

4) The EW-36 Mobility Scooter: At full power, this baby can travel at 18 miles per hour, making it the fastest set of wheels they’ll let you drive through the front doors of Walmart. Prices start at $1,999. Leave other shoppers in the dust. Or hell, run ’em over. Who are they to you, anyway?

5) The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand: In this season of giving, there are some of you who may be reluctant to get jacked-up on coffee and shock the crap out of your fellow man or run them down on an uncommonly powerful mobility scooter just to save a couple of bucks on a flat-screen TV. This 1964 collection of essays from Rand’s Objectivist Newsletter will help to break you of all that nasty altruism. Prices vary. $5.99 on Kindle

Mall Tales

by Louis Goggans

I journeyed deep into the heart of Wolfchase Galleria to ask employees to tell me entertaining stories involving customers on Black Friday. They all asked to remain anonymous.

An employee from Gymboree:

“The clothes were 50 percent off until 3 a.m. At 3 a.m., it changed to 30 percent. This guy came to the register, and he wanted to use a coupon that he couldn’t use on Black Friday. Because I told him no, he decided that he was going to call the corporate office. But because it was 2:30 a.m., he couldn’t get in touch with them.

“By the time he came back to the register, it was past 3 a.m., and I told him he could get the stuff behind the register for the 50 percent off. He kept trying to add more stuff to it. I told him that that stuff would be 20 percent off or 30 percent off. He got mad and told me what I was going to do for him, and I told him I wasn’t going to do it. I told him that he needed to get back in line, because he had cut in front of a lot of people. He said okay and asked, ‘Do you have a trash can?’ And as he was asking, he put his gum in my hand.

“I can’t tell you what I did after that.”

An employee from Victoria’s Secret:

“Customers have always been very rowdy; real anxious to get in. We can’t get the doors open fast enough. We don’t have an electronic door, so we have to [insert] our keys to let the gate up. Customers are ducking under the gate before we can get it all the way up. They’re waiting outside before the store even opens. They’re camping outside all night. They’ve made their pallets. They’ve got their tents. It’s crazy.”

An employee from Wet Seal:

“There was a long line, and a customer was waiting to check out. Another customer came from the back of the store with their items and instead of going to the end of the line, they came up to the front to get checked out immediately. That customer ended up getting into a heated argument with the person already standing at the register. We had to calm the situation down and explain the obvious to the customer: ‘The other person was here first, so we’ll ring them up and you have to go to the end of the line.’ They just wanted to hurry up and get their stuff.”

An employee from Macy’s:

“It gets intense and swamped. When the store first opens, it’s just crazy. It’ll just be a big rush of people. I always like the excitement of it when it opens, because they burst in with their sales ads. They come from all three entrances into the store. They’ve got their coffee in their hands, and they’re ready to go. And these shoppers will shop all day and night. I always like to sit back and watch where they’re going. It’s a rush to me, just to see them come in.”

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Special Sections

“Shop Local”

You’ll have to excuse us for saying so, but the Flyer has always been a bargain. Now we’re bringing readers — and retailers — even more of a deal.

The Flyer asked readers to pledge to spend $100 at locally owned shops during the holiday season. In exchange, readers received weekly e-mails with “deals and steals” from area retailers. The program was so successful that it’s being continued through 2009, the Flyer‘s 20th-anniversary year.

“Right now, when the economy is what it is, it makes sense for people to spend locally as frequently as they can,” says Penelope Huston Baer, the Flyer‘s advertising director. “We know it might be convenient to shop online or to shop the big-box stores, but if you do, fewer of your dollars stay in the community.”

1. Dogeared Canvas Tote: Delphinium Boutique, 107 G.E. Patterson, 522-8800

According to Civic Economics, 68 cents of every dollar spent at a locally owned business stays in the community, versus 43 cents if that same dollar is spent at a national chain.

If 1,000 people pledge to spend $100 at locally owned stores, the economic impact is $25,000 greater than if they spend that same $100 at a national chain. Considering the Memphis area has more than 500,000 adult consumers, the economic impact of shopping local would be considerable.

2. True Religion jeans: James Davis, 400 S. Grove Park, Laurelwood, 767-4640

“We’re not trying to encourage people to spend money they don’t have,” Huston Baer says. “Part of what we’re telling everyone is to spend responsibly. If you’re going to spend, spend locally. It means so much to the community.”

Shopping locally also can encompass area artist markets, consignment shops, and antique stores. Not to mention that eating at locally owned restaurants also can impact the economy in a significant — and positive — way.

3. Bloom Fresco highchair: Mango Street Baby, 2055 West Street, Gemantown, 755-8055

“I was talking with a local retailer, and she said so many people in Memphis wear the ‘I shop in New York’ as a badge of honor. She wanted people to be proud to say they got something in Memphis,” Huston Baer says. “We’re just trying to help our readers and our local retailers and restaurants find each other.”

To make the pledge and get signed up to receive great deals, e-mail “I pledge” to shoplocal@memphisflyer.com.

4. Betsey Johnson shoes: Strut Boutique. 524 S. Main, 522-9722