Local Gift Guide

November 13, 2020

Shopping local is more important this year than ever! Small businesses have taken a huge hit this year, and now’s the time to show your support. I’m highlighting some of my fellow Oakland small business owners here.

But first you might ask, why shop local? Is it always the more sustainable option? The answer is a little complex, but it comes out to a resounding YES.

From an emissions perspective, shopping local is more sustainable if:

You walked, biked, took the bus, or ordered online (vs driving your car long distances).
The item you bought was sourced locally (vs being shipped from far away to be sold at a local store).

But from an overall sustainability perspective, building local economies is crucial to a sustainable future in which we all play a part! The ideal emissions scenario is one in which we can walk around the corner and purchase something that was sourced, processed, and finished within a few hundred miles. This isn’t really logistically feasible for many supply chains at this point - but it will never be possible if we don’t start demanding it with our dollars!

By supporting local businesses you could be helping in the following ways (in addition to reducing emissions):

Creating demand for locally sourced products
Supporting businesses with your same values
Being able to ask business owners where their goods came from (more transparency than a large corporation)
Providing local jobs
Being a good community member!

So yes, shopping local is the way to go! Now I’m excited to highlight some stores local to Oakland.

Sixie Self Watering Seed Pot from Orta Gardens, $43