KALAMAZOO, MI – At this point, everybody knows that Best Buy, Target, Kohl’s and a bunch of the stores at big malls have or will have killer sales to start the hectic holiday shopping season.
Many of them started yesterday on Thanksgiving.
But what about the smaller Kalamazoo-area and Southwest Michigan stores that don’t have big “doorbuster” sales, big advertising budgets or a dedicated social media guy to tell you about them?
Grace's Place in Paw Paw is a 9-year-old gift shop known for its huge in-store sandcastle built by artist Charlie Wakefield. Owner Jessica Sylvester stands by the sculpture.
After asking sources in various communities, here is a list of some small businesses in the region that have good holiday-time shopping. Some you may know. Others may be a pleasant surprise.
ALLEGAN :
-Hathaway Cottage & Gifts, at 106 Locust St. in downtown Allegan. It is a home decor and gift shop that sells handbags, jewelry and other items, including those by Brighton, Swan Creek Candles, Bearington, Mud-Pie, Ladies Boutique and Spartina.
-Spring Grove Variety, at 125 Locust St. in downtown Allegan. It is a hometown-style 5 and 10 store known for having items that are difficult to find elsewhere. It also has a pretty good variety of gift wrapping and holiday bows.
-Montage Market, at 137 Brady St. The specialty wine, craft beer store and grocery store has a selection of gourmet grocery items that should make for good gifts. It also bottles olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
DOWAGIAC
-Imperial Furniture, at 57530 M-51 South (between Decatur and Niles). It sells new furniture and home décor, gifts. “It’s just a beautiful store,” says Vickie Phillipson, of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority. Speaking of the Carole and Art Springstein family, she said. “It is a second- and third-generation business. The second generation of the family own it and the third generation is also working there. Contact: 269-782-5020
-The Marshall Shoppe, at 138 S. Front St. in downtown Dowagiac. It sells upscale and trendy women’s apparel, including the Brighton line of handbags and accessories. The business is owned by Susan Kazlauskas. Contact: 269-782-7445
-Vicent J Jewelers, at 118 S. Front St. in downtown Dowagiac. “They are just a very nice jewelry store," Phillipson said. Owned by Jim Frazier, the jewelry store does all its work on-site. Contact: 269-782-2000.
KALAMAZOO (DOWNTOWN)
-Art on A Whim, at 326 W Kalamazoo Ave. in the Park Trades Center. It sells everything from painted pepper grinders and decorated chairs to cool towels and wall hangings. It's wide mix of merchandise is primarily made here.
-W.J. Upson Wine Merchant, at 3817 S Westnedge Ave. The seller of wine, coffee, kitchenware and specialty foods is known for being a tremendous kitchen shop, with small and quaint items that could make good gifts – from high-end cooking utensils to gift baskets. The business is owned by Linda Czapla.
-Downtown hair salons, such as Folio Salon, at 229 E Michigan Ave., and Tromblay Salon, at 627 S. Burdick St., have retail areas that sell clothing items and gifts but tend to be overlooked by shoppers.
PAW PAW
-Grace’s Place, at 927 E. Michigan Ave. The 9-year-old gift shop, known for its huge in-store sandcastle built by artist Charlie Wakefield, sells everything from antiques to embroidery. It also sells locally made honeys, used books, clothing, handmade towels, jewelry and stained glass art. The business is owned by Jessica Sylvester and is named for her daughter Grace, who is now age 14.
-The Sugar Bear, at 101 W. Michigan Ave. Opened in 1976, the business describes itself as a seller of fast food with a conscience. It sells desserts, including confections and ice cream, as well as an entire menu of foods for a vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free meals. It is owned since 2004 by mother and daughter, Leslie and Courtney Buhl.
-Fat Cat Books, at 404 E. Michigan Ave. Owned by Jean Wing and her cat Grimmsley, the bright and cheery store sells gently used books -- fiction, nonfiction and children's books. Prices typically range from 50 cents to $3 for all books. The store is on the ground level of a former church building that now also serves as the Paw Paw Village Playhouse (Ms. Wing’s 6-year-old business has served as the box office for the Paw Paw Village Players for the past 3 years.)
PLAINWELL
-The Calico Rabbit Craft and Antique Mall, at 130 N. Main St. in Plainwell. With more than 3,000 square feet of selling space, the 5-year-old mall is home to about 100 vendors under one roof. They sell homemade crafts, art, home décor and antiques. It is operated by Zelda Schippers .
-Another Man’s Treasures, at 120 N. Main St. It is a unique seller of eclectic furniture, home furnishings, art and décor items owned by Sharon Battaglia, who has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens for recreating and repurposing items of furniture.
-Envy of Plainwell, at 118 Eastbridge St. The women’s apparel store specializes in sizes 12 and up. Owned by owned by Tracy Dunlop, it also sells accessories such as jewelry, scarves, and gifts.
PORTAGE
-Lee’s Adventure Sports, at 311 W Kilgore Rd, Portage. It is a family-owned outdoor sports gear business that was started in December of 1954 by Bill and Evelyn Lee. It’s known for being very customer driven and for having staff members who go out of their way to help customers get outfitted with everything from kayaks and longboards to inline skates and snowshoes.
-Breakaway Bicycles, at 185 Romence Road. It is a seller of a wide variety of bicycles, accessories, exercycles and related gear. It prides itself on service and taking care of customers. It is a locally owned business that also has locations in Muskegon and Grand Haven.
-Chocolatetea, at 7642 S. Westnedge Ave. The tea, coffee and chocolate shop is owned by Polly Kragt. It has become a unique place for area people to visit and buy chocolates as well as a wide variety of teas, including Darjeeling (from India) and Sencha (from Japan).
SCHOOLCRAFT
-Norma’s Antiques, at 231 N. Grand St., Schoolcraft Antiques Mall, at 209 N. Grand St., and Loving Ewe Gifts, at 245 N. Grand St. are all locally owned seller of antiques that are at the heart of the Village of Schoolcraft’s business district.
-Annie’s Thrifts & Gifts, at 240 Grand St. in Schoolcraft. The locally owned business recently opened in Schoolcraft.
-The Salted Cupcake, at 224 N. Grand St. The business is a seller of sweet and savory cupcakes and donuts in downtown Schoolcraft.
SOUTH HAVEN
-Perfect Setting, at 515 Williams St. (at Old Harbor Village, a little north of South Haven). “It’s a wonderful jewelry store; a father and daughter (Dan and Tracey Altenburg) that make beautiful custom jewelry,” said Kathy Wagaman, executive director of the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce. “They have a lot of organic stones from all over the world, crafted with silver and gold. They are very special and very affordable.”
-Olive Cart, at 424 Phoenix Road in downtown South Haven. This is a seller of upscale gourmet ingredients. “You can get probably 30 different types of balsamic vinegar and 30 different types of flavored oils and a lot of specialty foods that you can use for the holidays,” Wagaman said. She said the store sells items that are convenient for holiday entertaining, including sauces, chutneys, dips and spices. The business is owned by Dave Drees and Jeff McDonald.
-Decadent Dogs, at 505 Phoenix St. in downtown South Haven. The upscale dog boutique sells a wide range of specialty products for dogs, including sweaters, leashes, dog dishes, pet foods, jewelry, sock toys, rugs, key chains, and nearly anything else you can imagine for a dog. Owner Roxanne Leder also keeps dogs that need to be adopted in the store as well as her home. The store is dog-friendly.
Contact business writer Al Jones may at ajones5@mlive.com. Follow me on Twitter at ajones5_al.
Source: southwest - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGImlf4QJnYC7iCMxcAeICtQNj8bA&url=http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/11/black_friday_shopping_here_are.html
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