The Hutch guide to shopping small this Christmas

Nov 26, 2020

4 min read

Updated: Dec 26, 2020

With small businesses under immense stress this year, we believe it's more important than ever to use our purchasing power for good.

The lure of Black Friday and Cyber Monday’s huge discounts can be hard to ignore, and there’s a lot of pressure for businesses to join in to avoid being priced out by competitors. But while sales might bring in customers, the reality is that offering lower prices isn’t actually sustainable for them, and the increase in orders over such a short time frame creates a huge amount of stress on labour and production times.

So how can you help?

Well, Hutch has collated some of our favourite gift ideas and sellers to help you find the perfect gift, and spread a little festive joy to businesses hit by the pandemic.

Credit: Instagram - @emilyedwardsprint

1. Books

Combat the omnipresence of huge online retailers and find your nearest independent bookshop using booksellers.org’s bookshop search. Even if your local bookshop isn’t open for browsing, they’ll be able to order in titles for collection or delivery.

Hutch loves:

Persephone Books - bookseller and publisher of the forgotten or neglected female authors of the mid-twentieth century
Libreria - achingly cool bookshop in Spitalfields with an online store and subscription membership
The Literary Emporium - gifts and books for book lovers

Credit: Instagram - Libreria & Persephone Books

2. Home & Interiors

It goes without saying that our homes have dominated our lives in the last year and are no doubt in need of a little cheer. We’ve gathered some of our favourite independent stockists and brands to help you choose the perfect gift to drive away WFH fatigue.

Home:

Car and Kitchen - independent department store for homeware, furniture and clothes
Insidestore - design led furniture and homeware
Kalinko - artisanal Burmese homeware
Ian Snow - vintage and recycled bohemian style goods with sustainable and fair trade practises
Irusu Candles - ethically made candle maker, who give 50% of their profits to homeless charities

Art & Design:

Jealous Gallery - gallery, print publisher and printing studio showcasing contemporary artwork
Draw For - original art donated by artists, with profits going to a charity of the artist’s choice
Intoart - inclusive art & design studio working with artists with learning disabilities
From Home - artists, creatives and makers all sourced within 20 miles of the shop in Berkeley

Flowers:

The Happy Blossoms - dried arrangements and colourful ‘baked blossom’ bouquets
Highgate Flowers - seasonal cut flowers and dried bouquets from experienced garden designers
My Lady Garden - florist and concept store in Dalston offering floral deliveries, workshops and gift kits

Credits: Instagram - Kalinko, My Lady Garden & Insidestore

3. Fashion & Accessories

While parties and socialising might feel like a distant memory, who says we can’t get dressed up to stay home? Glam up or dress down with some of our favourite independent brands.

Hutch loves:

OutsideIn - mens and womens outerwear. For each item bought, another is donated to a homeless person
Cate Victoria - sustainable Mongolian cashmere
Tally Mae Designs - customisable hand embroidered clothing
Wolf & Moon - handmade jewelry. For Black Friday they will be donating 20% of profits to charity instead of a sale
WeAreArrow - responsibly sourced handmade jewelry
Safe Passage Bags - upcycled bags created by refugees, with all proceeds going to the charity Lesvos Solidarity

Credits: Instagram - Wolf & Moon, Safe Passage Bags & Cate Victoria

4. Food & Drink

If there’s ever a time for over-indulgence, it’s Christmas. So why not treat someone to the very best in independent produce, or even a DIY meal kit from one of your favourite restaurants, like Dishoom, Patty & Bun or Bao?

Hutch loves:

Sip Wines - natural wines from around the world
Find & Foster - award winning cider from lost orchards in Devon
The Good Life Gin Co - small gin distillery in Surbiton, also stocking prints, clothing and cocktail kits
Seven Bro7ers - craft beer from Salford created by (you guessed it) seven brothers. We also love the gin created by family members Sis4ers Distillery
Chimney Fire Coffee - responsibly sourced coffee with sustainable practises

Credit: Instagram - The Good Life Gin Co, Chimney Fire Coffee, Dishoom

5. Stocking Fillers

Fun, thoughtful gifts and elevated essentials - our favourite lifestyle stores are below.

Hutch loves:

Present & Correct - independent design shop specialising in stationery
The Present House - unique homewares and gifts
Search and Rescue - lifestyle store in Stoke Newington, stocking a curated range of gifts and curios
Snap - fun and colourful design led gifts and cards
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies - quirky items for monsters big and small, with profits going to a creative writing and mentoring charity for children, Ministry of Stories
Century General Store - independent shop in Edinburgh stocking thoughtfully chosen products Sancho’s - ethical lifestyle and clothes store based in Exeter

Credits: Instagram - Present & Correct, Century General Store, Hoxton Street Monster Supplies

6. Crafts

Prepare your loved ones for another lockdown or treat your crafty pal to some high quality materials.

Hutch loves:

Molly Mahon’s Block Print Kits - from the queen of lockdown crafting
Emmercery - fabric, haberdashery amd patterns
Denier studio - industry surplus yarns, also stock beautiful knitwear

Credits: Instagram - Molly Mahon, Emmercery, Denier studio

7. Christmas Decorations

We won’t tell if you keep these for yourself.

Hutch loves:

Berylune - independent lifestyle shop in Leamington Spa, for beautiful cards, decorations and wrapping paper
Lulo & co - sustainable homewares and christmas decorations, like crackers, baubles and stockings
Jo's House - homeware and lifestyle store based in Herne Hill,

Credits: Instagram - Jo's House, Berylune and Lulo & co

8. Alternative Gift Ideas

Buying a gift for someone that has everything? Overwhelmed by online shopping? Think outside the box and try something different this Christmas.

Memberships and Subscriptions

With cuts in funding and a limit on visitor numbers, galleries and museums have struggled this year. Consider a gift subscription for your recipient’s favourite cultural haunt, or a National Art Pass to gain discounted entry to a number of institutions.

Patreon allows subscribers to support their favourite artists directly, giving them exclusive access to their work and helping to fund their creative projects.

Workshops

Help your loved ones prepare for the possibility of more stay-at-home fun and treat them to the gift of learning this Christmas - you might even receive the results in return!

Hutch loves: