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Pumping up for the holidays

Jessica Crawford
Cotton & Co.

(11/2021) And just like that, we’re changing gears and switching seasons again. Retail Life! This time of year is a personal favorite of mine. Fall is crisp and energizing, gifting us with all its colorful, earthy glory, just before we shift into the magical, romantic slow season of Winter. And somewhere nestled in between Fall and Winter is the most Wonderful Time of the Year: Christmas.

I love all of the feelings that come with the holiday season. You can feel the hum of happiness and good spirits in the air. The upbeat holiday music in every store. Humanity feels a little calmer, happier, and higher spirited. There’s just an overall cheerfulness and contentedness that goes along with the holiday season. For the first weekend of November, we will have completely transformed the store, making it into a holiday wonderland. Filled to the brim with holiday and season décor, gifts and inspiration for the entire season and everyone on your shopping list this year.

We have a ton of events planned for November and December at the shop, to keep you in the holiday spirit all season long. We’ll be jumpstarting the season with a Holiday Kickoff Weekend November 5-7. On November 6, we will be hosting and featuring several local, guest artisans and vendors for a Holiday Pop-up Shop. And Sunday, November 7, we will be hosting a local photographer, Deserving Images Photography, for Holiday Mini Sessions (tickets available through our Facebook page). She will also be back on site for a second date, Sunday November 14. On the fourteenth, a special, jolly guest in a red suit will also be on site and available to be included in holiday family photos.

There will be our annual Holiday Open Houses in both November (19-21) and December (10-12) to keep the festivities going. Most of our shop events feature select storewide sales, special treats and door prizes. In addition to our events, we are also organizing and hosting a variety of classes and special events such as multiple Ladies Nights and extended evening shopping hours. All of these events and more, as well as full details are available on our Facebook page under our Events tab (@Cotton & Co Vintage Boutique).

If you’ve been listening to or reading the news, you have likely heard by now that they are predicting a shipping and inventory nightmare this holiday season. Advising consumers to get an early head-start on your holiday shopping this year, and not to leave it until last minute. Take it from someone that ordered their holiday inventory in the early Summer, and has ben contending with warehouse issues and shipping time delays for the past eighteen months. They aren’t kidding. But have no fear, small businesses have got you covered.

While we order a certain amount of our inventory from a variety of sources, many of our team of vendors also make and create a substantial amount of their artisan-quality inventory. Which means, we will be fully stocked and prepared to conquer this holiday season, with a large assortment of unique, one-of-a-kind, everything-you-need, to rock this holiday season selection of inventory.

When you shop small, and shop local, you are making a difference in your local community and your local, grassroots economy. Your hard-earned wages are supporting other people and families in your community. We always joke, when you buy from a small business, a small business owner does a jig. And that is entirely true. Each and every purchase you make within your community, or supporting a small business, raise one another up. Into a better, stronger community network. You’re not padding the pockets of a billionaire or corporation that doesn’t appreciate or acknowledge your purchase.

Shopping Small and supporting small business can come in so many forms. Consciously choosing to visit and shop your local stores, through monetary purchases is a pretty obvious avenue to support small business this holiday season. But did you know that there are other ways to support small business, that don’t cost you a thing? For instance, follow businesses you like in your community on social media platforms. Engage in their posts. Did you know that when you ‘love’ or ‘wow’ a post, event, photo, live feed, etc… that it actually helps to spread that post much farther than just a simple ‘like’? Algorithms are so strange, and small businesses are constantly fighting with and against them, to make sure their content reaches their customers and followers. Sharing posts that spark your fancy also helps too. Positively talking about businesses that you adore with family and friends is also a massive tool in helping small businesses survive and thrive. We have found, through customer polls, that 33% of our customers are directed to us through family and friends and their affirmations and positive recommendations.

I am also a huge advocate for shopping small business online. You can shop online, and still support the little guys. Many businesses use online shopping platforms such as Shopify. And let’s not forget websites and apps like Etsy, where there are thousands and thousands of small, mom and pop artisans and businesses, showcasing their wares online. But get your online orders in sooner than later, as shipping and processing times are expected to be monstrous this season.

Our vendors stock the shop in everything you need in every style for both décor and gifts. Something for everyone on your list. I am so proud and constantly amazed by my team of vendors. With their endless talent and dedication. Their never-ceasing flow of creativity. The team has spent months creating, cultivating, curating and preparing inventory to take us through the holiday season. Featuring items that can’t be found just anywhere. And a tremendous selection of one-of-a-kind items too. Stop by the shop this holiday season and see what they’ve all prepared for you. Don’t forget to follow our journey on both Facebook (@Cotton & Co Vintage Boutique) and Instagram (@CottonAndCoVintageBoutique). We’ll be ready for you this season!