Have you been looking for locally made gift from small Toledo businesses this holiday season? In our eyes, it doesn't get any better than supporting local Toledo businesses. There are so many great places to support in Northwest Ohio that you shouldn't have trouble finding a great local gift to give.
Jupmode has two retail stores (one in Uptown Toledo, the other at Cricket West in West Toledo) with vintage, nostalgic Toledo, Ohio gifts and clothing. The great thing about all of our apparel is that it is made right here in Toledo at our print shop on Adams Street in downtown Toledo.
The need to support local businesses has never been greater.
The year 2020 has been tough on everyone. One good thing we feel is changing this year is the follow through on supporting local businesses. There's more weight behind it because we've all felt the impact of their absence like never before.
Local businesses have suffered greatly this year. While many big box stores have been deemed essential and kept their doors open, your local restaurants, bars, salons, coffee shops, and stores have been forced to close.
As if running a small business wasn't hard enough, the scales are weighted in the favor of the large businesses.
Most businesses rely on customers coming into their store to use their services or products. When your primary method of business - in-store foot traffic - is cut off, it's hard to keep business going. Already, some local businesses have had to shut their doors.
The worst part is, it's not their fault.
Supporting local businesses isn't easy
Supporting local has always been a popular catchphrase. People have always been quick to say it.
Supporting a local business, one where you might know the owner or develop a personal relationship with the employees, makes you feel good. Visiting the local shop or restaurant in your neighborhood develops community and connection.
But it's not as easy to live as it is to say. Starbucks is just more convenient than most coffee shops. Amazon makes online ordering quick and easy. Chipotle is faster than a local restaurant. Bud Light is cheaper than the local brewery.
At the end of the day, the list of reasons to go to or use the chain is just as long or longer than the reasons to go local.
We need to support local businesses to help them survive these tough times
As the difficult economic climate stretches on, the need to support local businesses is more important than ever. Many small businesses could survive a short period of downturn. The longer it lasts, the more dire the situation for small companies.
We know because we've been struggling this year, as well.
Small businesses are valuable to local communities because they make a more significant impact on a local level. More money is kept in town with locally owned businesses. And, most importantly, local business owners are more invested in the local community and are invested in the success of the people and businesses.
We were involved with two great examples of the impact of local businesses on the community this year: Grubs for Scrubs and Here for Good.
Grubs for Scrubs was an initiative created by Deet's BBQ to provide meals to healthcare and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. When their doors were closed, they provided food to those that were most at risk and exposed. Local people and businesses stepped up and covered the bill for many of these meals to show their appreciation.
At the same time, we launched a program called Here for Good. Through this program we allowed local businesses to sell their own shirt on our website, JupmodeSupply.com. The shirts sold for $20 and they received $10 from the sale of each shirt. We made payouts to organizations each week. For many, it was their only revenue stream during this time. At the end of the program we had sold 13,500 shirts and passed on $135,000 to participating organizations.
These are two examples of local businesses using their unique talents to fight for the local area. It wasn't big businesses that stepped up. It was local people that showed they cared the most.
Are you searching for local Toledo, Ohio gifts and clothing this holiday season? Here are some options.
Obviously we want you to shop with us for the holidays. We make historical and vintage apparel that make great gifts. In addition to the standard shirts and sweatshirts, we have a lot of smaller gift options that people love. From coloring books to calendars to candles to socks to blankets to hats to drinkware. We do our best to cover all of your Midwest, Ohio, Michigan, and Toledo bases.
We love a lot of local Northwest Ohio businesses and think you should support them, too. They're an asset to the community and we want them to be here for a long time.
Buckle up, this is a big list.
Retail stores:
- Handmade Toledo
- The Art Supply Depo
- Fiddle Stix Boutique
- Culture Clash Records
- House of Dow
- Libbey Glass
- Mudroom
- Sophia Lustig
- Found our Haven
- Devoon
- Unique Collections
- Swamp Shop
- Copper Moon Studio
- Architectural Artifacts Inc.
- Boyd's Retrp Candy Store
- Glass City Furniture
- Lily's at Levis
- Regazza
- Second Sole
- Thrifty Trendz
- Style 5:16 Consignment Boutique
- Vivian Kate
- Taste of Toledo
- Angel 101
- Meig Clothing
- Alice-Louise Press
- Dave's Running Shop
- The Gown Shop
- Jones & Jones Antiques
- Dancer's Pointe
- The Ribbonry
- Riverfront Candle Co.
- Spoke Life Cycles Shop
- Three Dog Bakery
- Maumee Antique Mall
- Cigar Affair
- Amity Ink
- The Countertop Shop
- Jensen Jewelers of Toledo
- Bartz Viviano
- Art-a-Site
- Blush Bridal
- Calico, Sage & Thyme
- Coyote Beads & Jewelry
- Eden Fashion Boutique
- Finders Records
- Loonar Station
- Mode Elle
Restaurants and bars:
- Original Sub Shop
- Manhattan's
- Balance Grille
- Deet's BBQ
- Zingo's
- Tandoor
- Bangkok Kitchen
- Ottawa Tavern
- Carlos' Poco Loco
- Manos Greek Restaurant
- Fowl & Fodder
- The Adams Street Cafe
- Home Slice Pizza
- Pizza Papalis
- Poco Piatti
- Beirut
- Ye Olde Durty Bird
- Tony Packo's
- Fricker's at the Field
- Grumpy's
- Holy Toledo
- M. Osteria
- Maumee Bay Brewing Co.
- Michael's Bar and Grill
- Spaghetti Warehouse
- The Blarney Irish Pub
- The Bronze Boar
- Ye Olde Cock n Bull
- Kengo
- Glass City Cafe
- Pho Noodle Toledo
- Pho Viet Nam
- The Casual Pint
- Zingo's
- 5th Street Pub
- Casa Baron
- Cyclewerks
- The Whitehouse Inn
- Local Thyme
- Ernest Brew Works
- Leaf and Seed
- Pizza Cat
- Bambino's Pizza and Subs
- J&G Pizza Palace
- Souk Mediterranean
- The Heights
- Brim House
- The Salad Bar and Cafe
- Oliver House
- Stubborn Brother
- Mancy's
- Flatlands
- Grounds for Thought
- Holey Toledough
- Toledo Spirits
- Boochy Mama
Coffee:
- Plate 21 and Plate 1
- Maddie and Bella
- The Flying Joe
- Sip
- Brew Coffee
- Actual Coffee
- Iron Bean Coffee
- Black Kite
- Rusbelt Coffee
- Flying Rhino
- Curious Cat
- Almost Human Coffee
- Local Roots
- Bard's Coffee
We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to holiday gifts. We know that many times it's easier or routine to shop at the big stores.
This year is different. It means more to shop local. It means more to the businesses, their employees, and the local economy.
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