Looking for a last-minute gift? Shop local, business owners say

At Massage 325, there are a few specialty self-care items that owner Michelle Sheffer said can’t seem to stay put for long in her recently-opened space in downtown Port Huron.

The storefront, 227 Huron Ave., has been open since this fall, building up an existing massage service, as well as Sheffer’s Be Joyful Goods business, which features her homemade soaps and a variety of jewelry and other products.

She said those items generally do well among customers, but there seems to be a growth in popularity among some items because of the holidays.

They’re the kind of things that other local business owners agree are big this season, whether for personal gifts or stocking-stuffers, for both the last-minute shopper and those who want to shop local.

“The two biggest things right now for Christmas stockings are the coal and gingerbread (soaps), but I cannot keep the blueberry or the vanilla exfoliating whipped soap on my shelf,” Sheffer said Monday. “I’m going through about 25 to 30 a week of these. It’s crazy — again, not a bad thing. But somebody just came in and bought the rest of the coffee ones, and those aren’t as popular.”

Across the street, District 43 owner Jorja Baldwin said overall it’s felt like some retail sales are down.

And things like shoe purchases, her store’s mainstay, also haven’t typically proved to be big sources of gifts because people often want to try their own shoes on.

Other things like travel bags at District 43 — where “if you want to pack extra shoes” but want to ensure “the bottoms to of your shoes don’t touch your clothing” — she said are doing well.

Just days away from Christmas, Baldwin said that fell more in line with what she’s hearing doing well with local businesses at large.

“I feel like people are looking for experience, and they’re looking for meaningful,” she said. “I don’t feel like people are coming through and just picking up anything. It’s things that seem more homemade. … Maybe something that feels more local, more handcrafted, more intentional seems to be what people are looking for.”

Go for gift cards, business owners say

For the shopper who wants their loved one to experience something local, business owners also pointed to gift cards as a large source of purchases this time of year.

“I’ve sold ton of gift cards for massage — tons and tons and tons,” Sheffer said, adding all of them are good for a year.

Massage 325 has seen some go for larger $200 or $300 amounts, she said “but the most popular is to get the 60-minute gift card.”

“The good thing about our massages, every massage, 60 minutes or more, all come with a sugar-scrub to your feet and wrapped in hot towels — ended with the foot massage and warm, fuzzy socks,” Sheffer said.

Jeanne Burris-Johnson, director of the Marine City Area Chamber of Commerce, said they’re seeing similar trends in their downtown.

Also co-founder of the New Century Art Gallery, she said that gift cards were available for a variety of local restaurants and good go-to purchases for gift-givers at businesses with a variety of goods, such as MC Marketplace.

Jody Parmann, co-owner of the Raven Café in Port Huron, listed gift cards among their top sellers, ranking them at number one.

Another thing that, like gift cards, business owners pointed to were gift baskets.

Sheffer pointed to peppermint- and lavender-scented eye pillows and neck wraps that were big with gifts for teachers this year, while Burris-Johnson said places like the Mariner carried baskets that worked as a good gift-price item.

Anita Varty, owner of MI Passion Boutique in Port Huron, said their premade gift baskets were among their top items, as well.

Other last-minute gift recommendations

Like Baldwin, Varty said people are going for things they can feel and touch as gifts.

“(It also helps to) avoid shipping costs and have easy returns,” she said in an email. “They also like to have their questions answered by expert sales staff, (and) enjoy the ambiance and experience. They also like the ability to get their gifts wrapped for free.”

After gift cards, Parmann said their top gift items were bagged coffee, mugs, apparel, and local arts and crafts.

Burris-Johnson said there were other specialty gifts that would work this holiday season, such as supported experiences at establishments like the TwoRivers Winery and Tasting Room in Marine City.

She also recommended homemade and old-fashioned candies from the Sweet Tooth as an example of another “experience” gift-givers could take home for loved ones.

“They’ve got things that can be set up in tubes so they can be put in your stockings,” Burris-Johnson said. “They have baskets and things like that.”

No matter what kind of gifts residents are looking to buy, business owners said the local purchases still benefit the community, particularly for those whose spaces are still relatively new.

On the latter, Sheffer said having a store on Main Street is helping them grow.

“People sometimes just walk by and (say), ‘Oh, I peeked in the window,’” she said.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Looking for a last-minute gift? Shop local, business owners say