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Travelers are increasingly interested in having authentic local experiences rather than checking off lists of places to see along the way. In other words, they want to do something that creates feelings rather than just images to post about on social media.
According to Virtuoso, a global travel agency that specializes in luxury and experiential travel, there is a “notable shift from focusing on a trip to-do list to an emphasis on how one feels during travel.”
Specifically, their research found that 77% of travelers in their survey prioritize curiosity and exploration, 65% joy and happiness, and 57% aim for awe and wonder of nature as “top emotional drivers for luxury travel.”
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Why Shopping Locally Matters—Even When You’re Not a Local
When you spend money at a small local business, the profits go back into the community and create local jobs, which in turn makes the place a robust and interesting place to visit because people are thriving.
Other possible benefits to shopping at a local business include good customer service, minimizing environmental impact, and developing relationships with locals.
When you think about shopping at a big box store, chances are you left feeling good because you found what you needed at a fair price, but when you reflect on shopping at a small local business, you might remember a conversation with someone who worked there about the provenance of the item you bought.
Travel should include time to wander, to meet locals, and to support local businesses and, therefore, the community in which you are a guest.
Tips for Shopping Locally on Your Next Trip
Two things I enjoy: traveling and shopping (there are other things, of course, but I don’t usually say no to these opportunities!).
I have a few suggestions for how to make your next trip more memorable while you shop and support local businesses.
Get Out and Walk
Years ago, when I was working on my guidebook, Walking Denver, I found myself in neighborhoods I had driven through many times.
Suddenly, from this perspective on foot, I discovered small businesses, historic architecture, and much more. Walking has so many positives, including finding small businesses to support as you walk along and discover you’re hungry or thirsty or just curious about what’s inside and for sale.
Be Sustainable and Buy Secondhand
During a trip to Spokane, Washington, I stayed at the Davenport Hotel in downtown. I could walk two blocks to a mall and find the same stores we have where I live, but instead, I walked a few blocks in the opposite direction to Echo, a resale boutique I spied on the drive in from the airport.
Honestly, I never go to consignment shops at home (unless I want to consign some of my old clothes), but this store was so perfectly curated that I would be a regular if I lived there.
Also, buying secondhand is a sustainable choice—especially in this era of fast fashion. While wandering around Albuquerque’s Old Town neighborhood, I stepped into a vintage store and spontaneously bought a ceramic dish as a gift (for only $12!).
Take a Tour
Combining the first two ideas, you can go on a secondhand shopping tour (and even
mix in some upscale vintage!) in New York City with Vintage Boss Babes. My tour was
coordinated through my hotel, NH Collection New York Madison Avenue, so we
departed from there to walk into the city’s fashion district.
Along the way, we found temptation at sample sales (keeping clothes out of a landfill, we hope) and then recycled and upcycled treasures at the classic Chelsea Flea Market and an assortment of vintage clothing stores within close walking distance.
My find: a beautiful floral-print Elie Tahari dress that once sold for $300 is now going for just under $40! It seems that every brand or designer can be found for the right price, and we ended our tour at New York Vintage, which has both a retail space and an exclusive showroom for celebrities to rent classic items (it’s literally where stylists for the TV show “Sex & The City” have shopped).
Yes, renting jewelry, clothing, or shoes might be the ultimate flex in
sustainable shopping. Bonus: you’re supporting the small tour guide business along the
way.
Ride a Bike and Explore More
If you don’t have time to walk, see if your hotel has a bicycle to borrow (many hotels have branded bicycles they share with their guests), and be sure to ask for a helmet and bike lock to go with it.
One day in Spokane, I borrowed the Davenport Hotel’s bicycle, and off I went to a bookstore, a museum, and a tea shop. Now, every time I reach for my bag of Lemon Mint tea from Revival Tea Company, I think of Spokane—and maybe gifts for others.
Where else can you get Rice Krispy Tea? Or Northwest Breakfast Tea?
Don’t Skip the Museum Gift Shops
Speaking of museums, on a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, my friend and I went to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the Rattlesnake Museum (debatably a museum, but that’s a different topic), and then feeling like maybe we’d seen enough museums for one weekend, agreed to go to the gift shop at the Albuquerque Museum.
We struck shopping gold (the museum turned out to be great, and we were so glad we went)! I found locally made textiles, jewelry, and food in this shop.
In general, I find museum gift shops to be wonderful places to shop locally where inevitably there is an item worth purchasing (the only exception to this is the gift area just outside a blockbuster exhibit where the artist’s work is on tote bags, coffee mugs, scarves, puzzles, and so on).
Usually, in museum gift shops, you will find items made by local creatives, and that’s a double win, in my opinion.
Discover New Worlds at Local Bookstores
Ever since I went to Da Shop in the Kaimuki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, I have become obsessed with visiting local bookstores when I travel.
What I discovered in Da Shop was a curated experience that emphasized Hawaiian and Asian authors, opening up my reading options that weren’t on the shelves of the Colorado bookstores I frequent.
Sometimes, these local bookstores hide in plain sight—maybe in a museum gift shop or on the shelves at a local coffee shop.
To support small businesses that can be a significant part of making a city or neighborhood worth visiting, remember to bring both cash and plastic for making purchases.
While traveling in New Mexico, we visited Sky City on the Acoma Pueblo, an hour’s drive from Albuquerque.
At the Sky City Cultural Center & Haak’u Museum, we used debit or credit cards to pay for the guided tour on the mesa. At the end of the tour, there were local artisans selling their beautiful bowls, ornaments, and figurines—for cash only.
Whether you’re taking a stay-cation or exploring a new-to-you city, go shopping at the local businesses to learn more about the place and the people who call it home.
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Author Bio: Mindy Sink is a travel guidebook author and freelance travel writer based in Denver, Colorado. You can see her latest adventures and bylines on social media and her website, www.mindysink.com
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