7 Easy Ways to Buy Local for the Holidays

December 16, 2019 10:13 AM
by Jennifer Taylor

You have the opportunity to “vote with your dollars” this holiday season. Every year, Buy Local Santa Monica puts together the ’Tis the Season Buy Local Santa Monica Holiday Gift Guide. Buy Local is a campaign created by the Santa Monica business community and the City of Santa Monica to support local business. When you buy local this holiday season, your gifts are twice as nice – they show your loved ones how much you care and your purchases support our community. A recent study by Civic Economics found for every $10 spent at a local business, as much as $7 stays in the community. Purchases made at Santa Monica businesses last year generated $16 million for the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and over $8 million for affordable housing preservation and construction.

And now supporting our local community is easier than ever. The Buy Local Santa Monica Holiday Gift Guide is packed with ideas. This year we’re highlighting unique, experience gifts that help your family and friends discover some of Santa Monica’s hidden gems. Our guide also spotlights gift ideas that are truly unique and sustainable (i.e. you can’t buy these on Amazon) and includes a Buy Local on a Budget category ($25 or less) to show that buying local doesn’t have to be expensive. You can find something for everyone, at all price points, right here in Santa Monica!

7 Fun and Easy Ways to Buy Local for the Holidays: 

1. Head to your Santa Monica Farmers markets and stock up on ingredients for your holiday meals. Eat fresh, eat local! (see page 8 for holiday closures)

2. Lace up your walking shoes and stroll over to your local stationery store to stock up on holiday cards for loved ones.

3. Meet up with your coworkers or friends for some holiday cheer at a Santa Monica pub or coffee bar.

4. Looking for a great venue for a holiday office party? We’ve got over 300 local restaurants to choose from. Hint – they can also cater your holiday meals to relieve the stress. #EatLocalSM

5. Have friends or family visiting? Treat them to a night at a Santa Monica hotel and enjoy the discounts. Visit SantaMonica.com/ extrabedroom.

6. Bike local, buy local. To avoid hassles with parking and traffic, grab your bike and enjoy exercise while you do your holiday shopping. Treat yourself to a little something with the $ you save on parking and gas! For safe routes, visit SMSpoke.org.

7. Buy local, give local. Help support one of our many local charities. Shop at a Santa Monica thrift shop (also a great source for holiday decorations, cool scarves you can use as wrapping paper, etc.), provide gift donations to a local non-profit, or volunteer some time to help your neighbors in need.

Check out the full gift guide at buylocalsantamonica.com/gifts2019 or follow us on facebook.com/buylocalsm and Instagram @BuyLocalSM for our featured gifts of the day.

For more information on Buy Local Santa Monica, visit BuyLocalSantaMonica.com.

Authored By

Jennifer Taylor
Economic Development Manager