Live and Shop Local
One of the coolest things about Downtown Edmonds business owners is most of them not only live nearby, but also work in their shops. Their kids go to school with your kids, you run into them at the grocery store, and they’re investing in the community you love in a highly visible way. That’s pretty special, isn’t it?
What’s even more special is that local business owners in Edmonds support other local business owners. Bench & Board, Crow, MaJe, Maize & Barley, Stillhouse, Walnut Street Coffee, Waterfront Coffee Company, and many others display art from creators who live nearby. They pop into each other’s shops, collaborate, and share each other’s social media posts. It’s all very warm and fuzzy.
But, we wondered—what ignited this passion in our shop owners and service providers to live and spend money locally? Why do they think we should all care to do the same? So, we went straight to the horse’s mouth, as it were, and asked. Here’s what they said:
Downtown Edmonds Small Business Owners on Why They Live and Shop Locally
There are dozens of shops and businesses Downtown Edmonds and what you’ll read below is just a sampling. See where your next adventure takes you and chat with them yourselves next time you’re in the area. They’d be happy to tell you more!
Liz Le & Sheila Cloney, Anchor Chic
I think small businesses bring character and uniqueness to their community and supporting them, supports your community. We don’t want a world where you can only shop at big stores with fast fashion and no character—we want the people in our community who own small businesses to thrive, which in turn means we do. Especially small businesses with a circular economy like consignment, or boutiques that showcase local designers and art. -Liz Le, Anchor Chic Consignment
Jill Hall, Bench & Board
1. Spending local keeps dollars local (jobs, community donations, taxes for local services) 2. Spending local at small businesses builds communities and destinations. Enjoying the weekend in Edmonds and shopping with friends. 3. Local shops provide a curated experience and often support artists and designers in living out their dreams. -Jill Hall, Bench & Board
Logan & Christine Harris
With both of us growing up in small towns, we’ve understood the relationship between keeping dollars local and keeping a community vitalized long before opening Camp Vintage in Edmonds two years ago. Our appreciation for shopping local is not just about our shop’s bottom line. We’re amazed at how Edmonds businesses support one another, sharing resources and making recommendations for where customers can find unique items, services, or great restaurants. Many of our downtown businesses have merch that’s locally sourced and creates less waste. Local businesses also reinvest money back into the community by supporting local charities and events. We’ve loved building personal connections in Edmonds, because local businesses are typically owned by people who live here. Edmonds’ unique character and quality of life is in large part owed to its vibrant downtown and genuine sense of community—that’s not something to take for granted. We’re grateful that our local shoppers understand the importance of shopping close to home! -Logan and Christine Harris, Camp Vintage
Jen Lawson, Crow
Crow was built with a promise to only stock items that aren’t mass produced! I think people have really embraced the idea of supporting small businesses/makers, especially after the uber-challenging COVID years. -Jen Lawson, Crow
Kris & Kali Kelnero, Kelnero
We believe in putting the best products we can on the table and in our restaurants. We scour through portfolios to bring in the best product, and we definitely focus on local companies to showcase. But buying local isn’t just about only buying products from the PNW. Spending time and money with us goes directly back into our community—through the relationships we make, people we meet, and local economy we support. It provides local jobs, benefits public schools and charities, and keeps the money in our system. Purchasing online can be easy, but you don’t meet a human, or make a connection, or find a new favorite place to hang out. That money is probably going out of state, as it does with any company not locally owned. Convenience is nice, but we can never forget the human connection that we all need and receive from venturing down the street and spending a couple bucks with a human we can chat with. -Kris and Kali Kelnero, Kelnero and Vinbero
Jen Cullin, The Paper Feather
Shopping local is everything to me! Besides carrying handmade and small batch items in my shop, I try to source things I need from the small businesses in our amazing community. Being a small business owner, I know the importance of “Shopping Small” and being able to keep our shops alive, especially during the slower months. Every sale and return customer truly mean the world to us! -Jen Cullin, The Paper Feather
Nick Blaise, Podium
Shopping local is everything. Local stores are the heartbeat of the community and by shopping local you’re creating more of what makes the community so special. It also helps keep dollars in the community as opposed to going towards massive corporations who are only profit-driven. It’s a win-win for Edmonds. -Nick Blaise, Podium
Jake Edens & team member Adonis McNeal, Virtue Cellars
The cool thing about shopping local, especially regarding wine, is you are not only supporting a small family run producer such as ourselves, but you are supporting small family run vineyards and farmers just on the other side of the mountains which is something people don’t really think about. From grape to table, it’s just a bunch of small family run business in Washington State. So, when you buy a bottle of Virtue wine, you are supporting many local Washington small businesses all at once! -Jake Edens, Virtue Cellars
These reminders from our small business owners reinforce the work we all do to keep Downtown Edmonds thriving. We are so grateful to them and all the heart they put into supporting our community.
By Whitney Popa, photos by Matt Hulbert
