The 'Nice' List: Reader Recommendations for Shopping Local in 2020 

Making a list, checking it twice? We’re here to help you put a bow on it, Green Mountain-style. By that, we mean shopping not on Amazon (naughty!) but right here in our own state (nice!). As part of our first-ever Gift Local Giveaway — a response to the coronavirus pandemic that’s stifled sales at our small retailers — we polled Vermonters on their favorite independently owned shops. They embraced the holiday spirit and got vocal about gifting local: 1,740 Seven Days readers participated, casting a staggering 21,594 votes for the stores they love to support.

We’ve compiled their top tips in the following community-curated shopping directory. Whether you’re looking to gift an obscure LP to the vinyl lover in your life, some shiny bling to your significant other or a new novel to your home’s resident bookworm, you’ll find some stellar sellers here.

Check their websites to see how to shop this year — it may be in person or online, and many stores offer options for curbside pickup, local delivery or shipping anywhere. For even more rad retailers, visit the Register, the Seven Days guide to shopping locally online.

We awarded $500 in shop-local bucks to Bill Cecil of Roxbury, the winner of our giveaway. He’s chosen to redeem the cash at two of his fave retailers: Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel and Carrier Roasting.

“We feel so fortunate to be living in Vermont right now,” Cecil said. “Local businesses have found such creative ways to keep us all safe and well supplied in challenging times!” 

We couldn’t agree more.

Arts & Entertainment

Gifts for vinyl lovers

Autumn Records
Winooski, autumnrecordsvt.com

Buch Spieler Records
Montpelier, buchspielerrecords.com

Burlington Records
Burlington, burlingtonrecords.com

Pure Pop Records
Burlington, purepoprecords.com

ReSOURCE
Barre, Burlington, Hyde Park, Williston, resourcevt.org

Gifts for keeping little ones occupied

ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Burlington, echovermont.org

Homeport
Burlington, homeportonline.com

Jamie Two Coats' Toy Shop
Shelburne, facebook.comjamietwocoats

Turner Toys
Essex Junction, turnertoys.com

Woodbury Mountain Toys
Montpelier, woodburymountaintoys.com

Gifts for getting crafty

April Cornell
Burlington, aprilcornell.com

The Drawing Board
Montpelier, drawingboardvt.com

Must Love Yarn
Shelburne, mustloveyarn.com

ReSOURCE
Barre, Burlington, Hyde Park, Williston, resourcevt.org

Vermont Art Supply
Burlington, vermontartsupply.com

Gifts for the musically inclined

Ellis Music
Bethel, ellismusic.com

GuitarSam
Montpelier, guitarsam.com

Junktiques Collective
Burlington, junktiques.net

Recycled Reading of Vermont Books & Instruments
Bristol, recycledreadingofvt.com

Vermont Violins
Burlington; West Lebanon, N.H., vermontviolins.com

Gifts for bookworms

Bear Pond Books
Montpelier, bearpondbooks.com

Crow Bookshop
Burlington, crowbooks.com

The Eloquent Page
St. Albans, theeloquentpage.com

The Flying Pig Bookstore
Shelburne, flyingpigbooks.com

Phoenix Books
Burlington, Essex Junction, Rutland, phoenixbooks.biz

Gifts for geeking out

Computers for Change
Burlington, computersforchange.com

Green Mountain Camera
South Burlington, gmcamera.com

LeZot Camera
Burlington, lezotcameras.com

ReSOURCE
Barre, Burlington, Hyde Park, Williston, resourcevt.org

Small Dog Electronics
Burlington, shop.smalldog.com

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Beauty & Body

Gifts for self-care

City Market, Onion River Co-op
Burlington, citymarket.coop

Clover Gift Shop
Woodstock, clovergiftshop.com

Lunaroma Aromatic Apothecary
Burlington, lunaroma.com

Mirror Mirror
Burlington, mirrormirrorvt.com

Pure Energy Apothecary
Williston, pureenergybody.com

Gifts that are, like, super chill

Bern Gallery
Burlington, berngallery.com

Ceres Natural Remedies
Burlington, Brattleboro, Middlebury, ceresremedies.com

Garcia's Tobacco Shop
Burlington, garciastobaccoshop.com

Green State Gardener
Burlington, greenstategardener.com

Monarch & The Milkweed
Burlington, monarchandthemilkweed.com

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Outdoors & Recreation

Gifts for skiers and riders

Alpine Shop
South Burlington, alpineshopvt.com

Burton
Burlington, burton.com

Onion River Outdoors
Montpelier, onionriver.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

Skirack
Burlington, skirack.com

Gifts for outdoor enthusiasts

Alpine Shop
South Burlington, alpineshopvt.com

Lenny's Shoe & Apparel
Barre; Plattsburgh, N.Y.; St. Albans; Williston, lennyshoe.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

Patagonia Burlington
Burlington, patagoniaburlington.com

Skirack
Burlington, skirack.com

Gifts for wheely good people

Alpine Shop
South Burlington, alpineshopvt.com

Earl's Cyclery and Fitness
South Burlington, earlsbikes.com

North Star Sports
Burlington, northstarsportsvt.com

Old Spokes Home
Burlington, oldspokeshome.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

Skirack
Burlington, skirack.com

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Home & Garden

Gifts for the home

Barge Canal Market
Burlington, bargecanalmarketvt.com

Capital Kitchen
Montpelier, capitalkitchenvt.com

Common Deer
Burlington, commondeer.com

Gardener's Supply Company
Burlington; Lebanon, N.H.; Williston, gardeners.com

Homeport
Burlington, homeportonline.com

Gifts for gardeners

Claussen's Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm
Colchester, claussens.com

Gardener's Supply Company
Burlington; Lebanon, N.H.; Williston, gardeners.com

Guy's Farm and Yard
Montpelier, Morrisville, St. Albans, Williston, guysfarmandyard.com

Red Wagon Plants
Hinesburg, redwagonplants.com

Sam Mazza's Farm Market
Colchester, sammazzafarms.com

Gifts for antique lovers

Anjou & the Little Pear
Burlington, anjouvt.com

Barge Canal Market
Burlington, bargecanalmarketvt.com

Five Corners Antiques
Essex Junction, 5cornersantiques.com

Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Milton, Williston, vermonthabitat.org

ReSOURCE
Barre, Burlington, Hyde Park, Williston, resourcevt.org

Gifts FUR the whole family

The Dog and Cat
Essex Junction, Stowe, thedogandcatvt.com

Guy's Farm and Yard
Montpelier, Morrisville, St. Albans, Williston, guysfarmandyard.com

The Pet Advantage
South Burlington, thepetadvantage.com

Pet Food Warehouse
Shelburne, South Burlington, pfwvt.com

The Quirky Pet
Montpelier, thequirkypet.com

Gifts for art collectors

Artisans Hand Craft Gallery
Montpelier, artisanshand.com

Barge Canal Market
Burlington, bargecanalmarketvt.com

Common Deer
Burlington, commondeer.com

Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery
Burlington, froghollow.org

Thirty-odd
Burlington, thirtyodd.com

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Clothing, Shoes & Accessories

Gifts for thrifters

Barge Canal Market
Burlington, bargecanalmarketvt.com

Dirt Chic
Burlington, dirtchicvt.com

Goodwill
South Burlington, Williston, goodwillnne.org

Old Gold
Burlington, oldgoldvermont.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

Gifts for someone who is a real gem

Common Deer
Burlington, commondeer.com

Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery
Burlington, froghollow.org

Golden Hour Gift Co. (formerly Birdfolk Collective and Trinket)
Burlington, Waterbury Center, Winooski, birdfolkcollective.com

Jennifer Kahn Jewelry
Burlington, jenniferkahnjewelry.com

Zinnia
Burlington, zinniastores.com

Gifts for the dude who needs new duds

Burton
Burlington, burton.com

Lenny's Shoe & Apparel
Barre; Plattsburgh, N.Y.; St. Albans; Williston, lennyshoe.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

Patagonia Burlington
Burlington, patagoniaburlington.com

The Vermont Flannel Company
Burlington, East Barre, Ferrisburgh, Johnson, Woodstock, vermontflannel.com

Gifts for fashionistas

ECCO
Burlington, eccoclothesboutique.com

Jess Boutique
Burlington, jessboutique.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

SidePony Boutique
Hinesburg, sideponyboutique.com

Stella Mae
Burlington, stella-mae.com

Gifts for growing and stylish kids

Boho Baby
Williston, bohobabyvt.com

Burton
Burlington, burton.com

Little Citizen
Burlington, facebook.comlittlecitizenvt

Once Upon a Child
Williston, onceuponachildwilliston.com

Zutano Outlet Store
Montpelier, facebook.comzutanooutletstore

Gifts for putting your best foot forward

Danform Shoes
Burlington, Colchester, Shelburne, St. Albans, danformshoesvt.com

Dear Lucy
Burlington, dearlucy.com

Lenny's Shoe & Apparel
Barre; Plattsburgh, N.Y.; St. Albans; Williston, lennyshoe.com

Outdoor Gear Exchange
Burlington, gearx.com

Stella Mae
Burlington, stella-mae.com

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