Axios Detroit's local holiday shopping guide
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Magnets of well-known artworks at the DIA. Photos: Annalise Frank/Axios
It isn't always easy to stick to your aspirations of buying local for the holidays, but we've got suggestions on how to do it.
The big picture: Small businesses nationwide rely on holiday season shopping for around 10-50% of their annual sales, according to Constant Contact.
- Their top external concerns are inflation and weak consumer spending — meaning where shoppers spend those dollars is even more important.
Here is our curated list of ideas, at a variety of prices:
🕯️ Highly sniffable candles: Not all candles are created equal, and we wouldn't recommend one that isn't a big deal.
- We guarantee your people will love Kalamazoo Candle Co.'s cozy Warm Flannel ($19), available online or at City Bird in Midtown.
🖼️ DIA mementos: Who doesn't love a reminder of Detroit's free art museum?
- We recommend purchasing a gift inspired by the DIA's new contemporary Native American art exhibition to support Indigenous creators — from mugs and scarves to art prints ($13-$60) at the DIA's gift shop.
- For someone who loves the Diego Rivera Industry Murals, grab them a magnet ($7) or puzzle ($20) of the iconic artwork.
🛍️ Local shipped: Get local sellers' products delivered or pick them up at All Things Marketplace in Corktown.
- For example: a hoodie ($40) featuring the famous bear slide at Ralph Wilson Park, a handmade Bart Simpson Lions pillow ($100) and 313 hoop earrings ($20).
🥶 Cool hats: Keep warm with a cute, artsy beanie from Big Mitten Linocuts. Our picks are the distinctive Petoskey stone pattern or the birch-patterned Old English D with a woodpecker attached to it ($32).
- Find these products online, at Ferndale's Rust Belt Market or at Downtown Detroit Markets.
🫘 For caffeine lovers: Sepia Coffee Project's beans roasted in Detroit's North End make for a unique and useful gift ($20, or $54 for a monthly subscription box).
- Available at Sepia's cafe or online.
🎨 Shopping for kids: The Coloring Museum, which is working to open a physical space next year, is popping up at Downtown Detroit Markets with local designs like the Spirit of Detroit and Coney dogs that you can color in yourself.
- Options for colorable apparel and accessories include socks, shirts, pencil pouches and drawstring bags ($12–$30).
🫶 Forever: Give someone a gift that'll never leave them — literally. Halie & Co. in Eastern Market offers permanent bracelets, which are custom-fit and welded onto the customer's wrist.
- Bring your loved one on a fun day out, or get them a gift card to use as they please (likely $58-95, depending on chain style).
🤓 Trust an expert: Get someone bookish a tome that's been recommended by a local seller, 27th Letter Books in southwest Detroit.
- Current staff picks include "Holy Ghost: The Life and Death of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler," "The Vegetarian" and "All the Pretty Horses." Buy online or in person.
📬 Any local gift ideas we missed? Email [email protected] and we may feature them in a future newsletter.