If you’re on social media any extended amount of time, it’s likely you’ve seen posts about the importance of shopping at small businesses. There will be pictures of signs outlining what the $10 you spend at their shop does for their livelihood in comparison to what that $10 may mean to the big-box stores.
As holiday shopping heats up, Fort Wayne native Taber Olinger swallowed her pride to pull back the curtains on her two boutiques, Fancy & Staple, 1111 Broadway, and Hopscotch House, 1301 Broadway, and made “a plea for your support.”
“I wanted to let you guys know that both of my shops are struggling, big time, and they have been the last couple of years,” she said in the video. “Just slowly declining.”
“I know there’s a lot of real things going on like inflation. Shopping small isn’t convenient. The hours are limited and the parking is … limited. The products are specialized and maybe I don’t have all the categories or brands that you’re looking for, but when I walk around on Mondays and tidy up both shops, I think to myself, ‘What’s really going on here? What’s going to happen? What can I do to survive? What can I do that I haven’t tried already?’ ”
After seeing this, I felt motivated to do whatever I could to highlight the local shops in our community, and tie it in with the national Small Business Saturday on Saturday, Nov. 30.
City and nationwide effort
Locally, Nov. 30 kicks off Downtown Fort Wayne’s initiative Holly Shopping.
Head over to downtownfortwayne.com/holly-shopping to download a map of small businesses within the 99-block district. There will be trolleys available to take you around the shopping district for get all that holiday shopping in, while helping your neighbors in the process.
Among those stops will be Holly Village at The Porch Off Calhoun, next to Pint & Slice at 816 S. Calhoun St. Each Friday and Saturday from Nov. 30-Dec. 21, rotating artisan vendors will be set up here to sell their wares.
Along with Holly Village, Artlink will also have their Winter Market open each Saturday from Nov. 30-Dec. 14, as well as their Curated Shop, ARTament, and Cup Exhibition and Sale each Thursday-Sunday from Nov. 30-Dec. 14.
These great events will be a boost to our small businesses, but also be sure to check out businesses outside of downtown, as well as throughout the year. No one wants to see more empty storefronts.
So, here’s my novel approach to highlight some small businesses that are sure to offer up something special for those on your holiday shopping list. While I won’t get close to naming them all, hopefully it’s a good start that inspires you to dig deeper.
Antiques
- Delaney’s @ 1421 Broadway, 1421 Broadway
- Finders Keepers, 2608 S. Calhoun St.
- Hidden Treasures Antiques, 1655 N. Wells St.
- Mercantile on Main, 1753 W. Main St.
- The Rink Antiques & Vintage, 4540 Bluffton Road
- This & That, 3209 N. Anthony Blvd.
- Vintage Treasures Antique Mall, 625 Coliseum Blvd. W.
Art
- Aaron’s Rug Gallery, 1217 Broadway
- Artlink, 300 E. Main St.
- David Talbott Collection, 532 W. Berry St.
- Gallery 02, 1115 Broadway
- Glassic Art, 3324 Bass Road
- The Hedge, 1016 Broadway
- Kinhouse Gallery, 1117 Broadway
- Kreative Framing, 1117 Broadway and 3209 N. Anthony Blvd.
- Masters, Mentors, & Modern Fine Art, 1241 N. Wells St.
- Orchard Gallery, 6312 Covington Road
- Ruth Koomler Gallery, 1107 Broadway
Books
- Books, Comics, & Things, 2212 Maplecrest Road and 5808 W. Jefferson Blvd.
- Good Shepherd Books & Gifts, 915 S. Clinton St.
- Hyde Brothers, Booksellers, 1428 N. Wells St.
- The Rcade Comics, 1245 E. State Blvd.
- Summit Comics & Games, Jefferson Pointe and Glenbrook Square
- Sunbound Books, 3215 N. Anthony Blvd.
Boutiques
- Cog & Pearl, 1420 N. Wells St.
- Creative Women of the World, 125 W. Wayne St.
- Fancy & Staple, 1111 Broadway
- The Find, 133 W. Wayne St.
- Hopscotch House, 1301 Broadway
- Knitting Off Broadway, 1309 Broadway
- Meraki Co., 1530 N. Wells St.
- Phil’s Hobby Shop, 3938 W. Jefferson Blvd.
- Reboot Labs, 528 W. Berry St.
- Sharon’s Victorian House of Gifts, 634 W. Berry St.
- Simply Socks Yarn Company, 1315 E. State Blvd.
- Stoner’s Funstore, 712 S. Harrison St.
- Third World Shoppe, 611 W. Wayne St.
Clothing
- Duchess J Boutique, 3702 S. Calhoun St.
- Maisie & Maude, 1529 W. Main St.
- Urban Hippie, 111 W. Columbia St.
Metaphysical
- 2 Crazy Crystal Guys, 4039 S. Wayne Ave.
- Acacia’s Journey, 1930 Bluffton Road
- Fae’s Cabinet, 3210 Crescent Ave.
- Ravenswolf Emporium, 519 Broadway St., New Haven
Music
- Fort Wayne Guitar Exchange, 1517 N. Wells St.
- Quinlan & Fabish Music Company, 3678 N. Wells St.
- Welcome Back Records, 3019 Broadway
- Wooden Nickel, 3627 N. Clinton St., 3422 N. Anthony Blvd., and 6427 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Plants
- Cottage Flowers, 236 E. Wayne St.
- Fuller Plants, 1415 E. State Blvd.
- Honey Plant, 1436 N. Wells St.
- Morning’s Flowers & Gifts, 2135 N. Wells St.
Recreation
- Earth Adventures Unlimited, 1804 W. Main St.
- Fort Wayne Outfitters, 1004 Cass St.
- The Ski Pole, 6410 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Parting thoughts
After reaching out to Olinger ahead of stopping by her shops on Broadway, just a block from each other, she sent me a note stressing the importance of shopping locally.
“When you shop at a small local business, your dollars stay in your community, strengthening the economy in the city that you live in and providing wages for your fellow neighbors,” she wrote. “You are contributing to the growth around you and making this city a cooler place to live, work, and play! Digging a little deeper, shopping small often gives a sense of empowerment and connection because it requires you to be more intentional, and in return, you feel like you are part of something good. Your support is appreciated far beyond you know by hard working entrepreneurs who notice and are grateful for every single transaction.”
As I visited her shops to take photos, I also found a couple of items that my kids and dog will enjoy on Christmas morning.
I also stumbled upon a vintage Castle Grayskull from He-Man that I also may need to add to my collection!
