Welcome to the holiday shopping season on this Black Friday, official day of stampeding shoppers and crass commercialism. Let’s say you wish to give some holiday gifts this year without yourself joining the stampede. You know how hard it is to opt out entirely (particularly if your craft skills fall short of Martha Stewart levels), but you’d like to do a little better than the lowest big-box denominator. Here are a few ideas.
If you’re looking to support workers, here’s a good year-round tool: Find products that are union-made in the U.S.
This weekend, as an alternative to Black Friday, DoneGood and a host of partners are again holding Shop for Good Sunday, a day to shop at companies that try to do a little better on the environment or empowering workers, are woman- or minority-owned, or are otherwise mission-driven. Find gifts under $50, such as solar-powered lamps, sunglasses, earrings, sheets, or travel utensils. Or a thumb piano, leather laptop case, or craft cocktails bar tools set for under $100.
Also check out the Alliance for American Manufacturing holiday gift guide, which features gifts from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. From cotton bedding made in Alabama to knives made in Wyoming, they’ve got interesting, useful, and fun choices for you.
If you search Etsy carefully, avoiding knock-offs made in the same exploitation centers of the global supply chain you’re fleeing, there are some gems to be found. For instance, this is pretty great.
And if you need to hit up a big chain, maybe check out one of these companies that stayed closed on Thanksgiving.
The sad truth is your individual consumer choices aren’t drivers of major, deep economic or environmental or any other kind of change. Maybe all you're doing is making yourself feel a little better. Maybe you’re doing something more—supporting union jobs or a better way of doing business, in however small a way. Maybe it’s worth it to you either way.