This is especially true for small, independent retailers. If sales are down 2% at Wal-Mart, imagine how much of a drop the little guys are experiencing! I patronize locally owned and small businesses whenever possible, because it's rewarding to have a relationship with the business owner and feel as though I'm contributing to his/her success. This post is dedicated to some of my favorite small businesses; let's do what we can to keep them going through the holidays and beyond.
Park Wine Merchants - Tom opened his wine shop a few years ago and quickly became one of my favorite local retailers.
His legions of fans voted Park Wine as Central Florida's favorite wine store in 2007. As Tom states on his website, "Park Wine Merchants specializes in hard-to-find boutique wines from around the world. Our collection ranges from $4.99 to $450." Furthermore, he solicits deals from his vendors and emails the offerings to customers, with a first come, first served policy. Trust me - if you wait too long, you're gonna be out of luck! Check out parkwinemerchants.com or visit your local, independent wine shop.Etsy - When it comes to indie merchants,
Etsy.com is the mother ship. According to the website, since Etsy launched in 2005 more than 100,000 sellers (from all over the world) have opened Etsy shops; "Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade. 
Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers." Thousands of handmade items are offered - jewelry, clothing, housewares, paintings, dolls, edibles - the list is virtually endless. Best of all, when you shop at Etsy you're supporting an Indie business. One of my favorite Etsy vendors is Jen Segrest with her Schmaltzy Craftsy store,
where she sells pincushions that are works of art (prices range from $8 - $55; item shown is $28). Another great Etsy store is Bykali; I love her belt buckles. Today she has 56 different belt buckles for sale, including this Nail Burst in Black buckle ($30 plus $2 for shipping in US). There is much, much more, so block out at least 30 minutes and discover this gem of a website.
Handmade edibles are welcome gifts and when you're shopping for the person "who has everything," it's an alternative that is always the right size and color! If you're not planning to spend time in your own kitchen, let other indie cooks/bakers/candy makers do the work for you. Henrietta's Art of Baking in Key West makes one-of-a-kind coconut strips that make my mouth water just thinking about them. The strips come in several flavors - original, Key Lime, chocolate-covered and Key Lime chocolate-covered, priced between $6 and $7.50 per bag (each order must consist of at least six bags). 
Henrietta also sells Key Lime-Orange marmalade and Key Lime-Orange HOT marmalade. My favorite local chocolate shop
is Farris & Foster's, a family-owned business where you can buy delicious chocolates, find great gift ideas and even hold chocolate parties (both of my children celebrated a birthday with a party at Farris & Foster's). One of their best goodies: Triple Chocolate Caramel Popcorn (and you MUST try the chocolate-covered potato chips and chocolate-covered mini oreos). The last indie suggestion for today: Park Ave CDs, a local alternative kind-of music store
that sells CDs, LPs, t-shirts and other cool and random stuff. The shop is affiliated with Think Indie, "... a consortium of independent record retailers determined to bring true music lovers back to the stores that make a difference." Park Ave CDs has been around for more than 20 years and obtained almost a cult-like status about local music lovers because of its broad music offerings, free on-site concerts and it's overall hip-ness. Why buy CDs at a big-box store when you can soak up some fascinating local flavor at a great little place like Park Ave CDs?Support your independent merchants this holiday season whenever you can - it's good for you AND good for them.
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