It’s easy to get swept up in the Christmas chaos… Especially when it comes to shopping. In a stress-induced panic, you end up placing huge orders for presents that your loved ones definitely don’t need (or necessarily even want) just for the sake of ticking it off the list. This year, our editor Anastasia decided enough was enough – she was going to take a slower, more considered approach and buy from small businesses instead. Here’s how…
My first festive marketing email hit my inbox in August (yes, August), so I was exhausted by the Christmas commercialism before it even began. The solution? I decided that this would be the year I ‘shopped small’ for my gifts – exclusively.
TikTok videos and Instagram posts had told me time and time again that when you buy from a small business, an actual person does a happy dance. An overused (and a little corny) adage? Yes – but a true one. I certainly can’t imagine the suits in head office at [insert national chain brand] happy dancing in their boardrooms…
But as I set out on my mission, I realised shopping small wouldn’t be as straightforward as I thought. What makes a ‘small business’ small? Where do you find these businesses if (as many don’t) they have no advertising budget? And had I left enough time to place an order during the Christmas rush, if they were working with a small team?
A few weeks have passed, and I’ve learned some important things about small business Christmas shopping.
Consider this your official guide…
If you’re shopping online
Preparation is key. Of course, we’re only a couple of weeks away from the big day now so you don’t have as much time to place online orders. We suggest looking for Gold Coast business that offer click and collect – it’s an easy way to see a store’s range and shop for items in specific sizes, while also avoiding the panic of watching for the postie for the following week.
If they don’t offer click and collect, it may be worth paying the extra cash for express shipping. Even if you should be fine within the store’s suggested shipping timeframes, avoid the stress for everyone involved and don’t risk it.
A few of our favourite places for online Christmas shopping include…
- Margo Margo for beautiful cocktail kits | margomargo.com.au
- Soleil Soleil for luxe resort wear and homewares | soleilsoleil.com.au
- Bramasole Abode for jewellery and décor | bramasole.com.au
Check out our 2023 gift guide for more.
BONUS TIP: Instagram ads can be annoying, so why not use them for good? If an ad for a small business pops up on your feed, be sure to click through to their website and then go back and save the post if you like what you see. That tells the algorithm to serve you other small businesses just like it, saving you time hunting for new places to shop.
If you’re shopping in person
There is no shortage of in-person shopping to be found on the Gold Coast, from the bricks and mortar stores of Brickworks (Southport), James Street (Burleigh Heads), Cornerstone Stores (Tugun) and Griffith Street (Coolangatta), to big shopping centres like Pacific Fair, Robina Town Centre, Harbour Town and The Strand.
For more specific items, check out our favourite homewares shops on the Gold Coast or these independent bookstores.
But if it’s super small businesses that you would like to support this Christmas, one of our many local markets is the way to do it. Make sure you check out…
- Hide and Seek Children’s Markets at The Well in Upper Coomera this Saturday, December 16 | instagram.com
- Surfers Paradise Markets at 135 Bundall Road in Surfers Paradise on Saturday, December 16 | surfersparadisemarkets.com.au
- The Village Markets at Burleigh State School this Sunday, December 17 | thevillagemarkets.co
BONUS TIP: Why not make a day of it and head to one of the small towns around the Gold Coast? There are many talented artisans to discover in Tamborine, Springbrook Valley and even across the border in northern New South Wales. For example, did you know that some of Murwillumbah’s best shops are extending their trading hours as part of Murwillumbah Shopping Magic?
If you’re giving an experience
Our favourite last-minute gift idea: the ‘experience gift’. And there are soooooo many to choose from on the Gold Coast!
We shared seven of our favourite experience gifts last Christmas. There really is something for everyone in your life, from the adrenaline junkie (climbing the Q1) to the creative (a class at The Craft Parlour).
But a few new businesses have opened up since then, so we thought we’d add a few other ideas for you…
- A pottery class at Stone Studio in Currumbin Waters | stonestudio.com.au
- A staycation at Byron’s Hotel Marvell | hotelmarvell.com.au
- A day out with GoBoat Gold Coast | goboat.com.au