Buying local is extremely important to support the businesses that come from our community. They need our help more than ever this year. Here is a list for buying local in Calgary. Please do keep this in mind as you buy presents for family, friends, teachers and support staff this year!
Gift Cards
Many times it’s convenient to give a gift card since it also gives flexibility to the recipient. Giving an amazon card is easy but try and support local when you give a gift card.
Here is a great list of businesses in Calgary that offer gift cards!
If you do want to give a coffee gift card, do visit your local Starbucks or Tim Horton’s to buy it so that the revenue is recorded in their sales.
Books
I love local independent book stores. Maybe it’s the connection to my nana (the only grandparent I didn’t meet) who owned a book store, I just fall in love every time I step inside one!
This holiday season I request you to please consider small independent bookstores as you buy for yourself and gifts for others including teachers.
Please don’t buy books from amazon or give amazon gift cards. Many stores in Calgary such as Next Page YYC, Pages books, Owl’s Nest Books, Cookbook Co. offer gift cards that you can buy online to email/gift. Plus free shipping in the city.
Do you know that Calgary has the most independent bookstores in Canada? Let’s keep it that way!
Food
Lots of restaurants in Calgary offer gift cards such as Calcutta Cricket Club, Ten Foot Henry, Diner Deluxe
You can also buy a Skip the Dishes or DoorDash gift card so that it can be used for local restaurants.
Gift Baskets
Gift Baskets by Aisha is a wonderful local business making customized baskets that she delivers in Calgary.
We Love Cakery Bakery delivers delicious cakes and platters in Calgary.
Flowers and Plants
Plant is a gorgeous store in Inglewood that also offers gift cards.
Stemz Florist is a local shop for beautiful flowers, plants and treasures.
Amborella Floral has the most lovely floral arrangements for daily delivery.
Spa Gifts
Coastal Bliss Spa offers great mobile services in Calgary. Nothing like a gift card for a massage or facial at home!
Riverside Spa and Stillwater Spa are also great local spas in Calgary.
Experience gifts
Nothing like an experience gift that will keep giving till much later also!
Give a child in your life the life-long passion for coding by enrolling them in a Code Ninja program.
Admission tickets or season passes to Heritage Park, Calgary Zoo, Butterfield Acres , Cobb’s Adventure Park and Telus Spark are always a great idea!
When you support local, you are supporting a family in your own community and not a big corporation.
Do share more small businesses that you would like me to add to this list, so that we can all keep buying local in Calgary.