Tag Archives: Shop Your Block

Voices

‘Black and Center’ Holiday Gift and Giving Guide!

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by Jasmine J. Mahmoud

Before the pandemic, my two favorite places to shop for holiday gifts were Kinokuniya Seattle and Pike Place Market. At Kinokuniya, the bright, densely-packed Japanese bookstore in Uwajimaya Village, I browsed children’s books, comics, magazines, and stationery for hours. At Pike Place Market, I beelined to the Herban Farm stand, founded by Ras Levi Peynado, a Seattleite with Jamaican Roots who farms and dries his products. There, I would test-smell the fragrant seasonings, rubs, and salves, while staring at ferry boats crossing Elliott Bay, before buying gifts for family members. Among favorites were Pike Place Herbs (an all purpose seasoning), the paprika-rich Seatown Smoke (“BBQ in a jar”), and the floral Lavender Sea Salt.

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News

Olu Productions Is Helping Support Young Black Visionaries This Holiday Season

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by Chamidae Ford

As the holiday season approaches, many are looking to put their money where it is most needed. One of those places: small, Black-owned businesses.

It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the small businesses that make up the heart of our communities. While massive corporations like Amazon have flourished during these times, small retailers, which often rely on in-person sales, have taken a huge hit. 

If you’d like a way to support small, local businesses this season, Olu Productions has crafted a cheat sheet for you. The company’s annual Holiday Catalog features the work of many young, Black entrepreneurs who are hoping to create a successful business selling everything from clothing and body products to snacks and performance skills. 

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Community

Shopping the South End: Holiday Gifts From BIPOC-Owned Businesses in Delridge, White Center, and South Park

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by Mark Van Streefkerk 

It’s no secret that small businesses and retail shops have had a challenging year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Most local retailers have had to move their sales online, or host a hybrid of safe, socially-distant, in-person shopping along with new online sales platforms. Here at the South Seattle Emerald, we encourage you and your family to shop local this holiday season, especially seeking out local, BIPOC-owned businesses that might have been hit particularly hard in the pandemic. Here are a few businesses from the Delridge, White Center, and South Park neighborhoods to support this year. Check out the Seattle Green Book for more Black-owned businesses, and The Intentionalist for an index of woman-, LGBTQ+-, and BIPOC-owned businesses. 

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News

City Map and Resources Provide Easy Ways to Holiday Shop at Local Businesses

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by Elizabeth Turnbull

As the days grow increasingly colder and winter rains are set to wash away the leaf-covered sidewalks, stores and businesses are preparing for a unique year of holiday shopping amid the pandemic. While many corporations have turned to e-commerce, small businesses are left to fight for visibility. 

In an effort to support local businesses through the pandemic and the holiday season, the City of Seattle and various partners launched the “Shop Your Block” retail map last month to make it easier to locate small businesses and shops owned by women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ individuals. 

The map, which lets users search for retailers in their area or via address and neighborhood, is a part of a larger campaign, created through a partnership between the City, Comcast, small businesses, and business district organizations, to help small business owners, who have been particularly affected by the economic repercussions of the pandemic.

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