This Month’s Featured Article

A few months ago, there was a bit of buzz about shopping small. Back in late February, the media blasted a message encouraging shoppers to participate in an “economic blackout.” Consumers would refrain from spending at major retailers such as Target, HomeGoods, and Lowe’s and would opt to spend at local businesses instead. 

On that day, I happened to drive to Cold Spring, NY, to meet my friend, Julie for our regular outing, which involves day tripping to one of the many towns in the Hudson Valley area – Rhinebeck, Millerton, Kingston, Hudson, Tivoli, or any of the other charming destinations. While there, we always have lunch and browse the local shops. 

We both have design backgrounds, so we’re equally attuned to the entire shopping experience. For us, it’s all about parading by the window displays, pointing out the noteworthy ones, and commenting on the typefaces of the shop logos and the stylish signs that hover above the shops. 

That all happens before we pop in to see what’s in the store. That’s when we take in the shop’s aesthetic and vibe as we browse the collections, feel the fabrics, touch the materials, and interact with the staff. 

Although I generally don’t need a reminder to support neighborhood stores and boutiques rather than mass retailers, after recently watching Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy – a documentary written and directed by Nic Stacey and produced by Flora Bagenal, I became even more inspired to shop small and spread the documentary’s message to others. 

Released on Netflix in November 2024, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy focuses on consumerism and overproduction. It highlights big brands including Amazon, Shein, Topshop, and H&M. It also addresses the extraordinary number of products that end up in landfills each year and how some mass retailers are contributing to our planet’s waste problem. 

Beyond that, watching the documentary reminded me that I can do a better job of supporting smaller shops – many with owners who truly care about their towns and clientele. It prompted me to challenge myself to purchase from the local shops whether I’m seeking a sundress, pair of shoes, sunglasses, new lighting fixture, or flowers to plant in my garden. 

Since watching Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, I was motivated to replace the lighting fixture in my bathroom with a new one from a local lighting shop, and I’ve purchased boxwoods for my front lawn at a local nursery rather than heading to Home Depot or Lowe’s. 

Small steps

It turns out that I’m not alone. According to Faire – the online marketplace serving independent brands and retailers worldwide, Americans want to see their Main Street thriving. Many consumers are willing to do their fair share to keep local shops in business. In research commissioned by Faire a few years back, consumers reported that they were willing to spend nearly $2,000 more per year if it meant their favorite local shops would continue to thrive. 

Faire’s research uncovered that more than 65% of Americans visit their local Main Street at least a few times a month, and nearly 75% felt sad, worried, guilty, or angry when their local shops shut down.

There are many perks of shopping small. In the book, The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition, Michael Shuman highlights the “bigger isn’t always better” ideology. 

The book  description states that “contrary to popular belief, small, locally owned businesses often out-perform their ‘big box’ and Fortune 500 competition – both in outright profitability and the value they bring to consumers, workers, and communities. Unlike mega-stores and multinational chains like Wal-Mart, these small businesses stimulate the economy by buying supplies and services locally, adapt to (rather than fight against) higher local environmental and labor regulations, and stick around for many years, often many generations.”

Then there’s the personal connection we get from having a conversation with the proprietor of a shop or its salespeople – something intimate that you can’t get while clicking “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” on Amazon. These valuable staff can offer an honest opinion on whether that shade of green complements your skin tone, advise you on the right shoe for that skirt length, and discuss the designers and brands you’re buying and what they stand for. 

I spoke with a few of the proprietors of the shops I frequent on my day trips with Julie. Here’s what some of them had to say about what impacts their businesses and what perks they offer.

Around town

Beyond selling clothes, Hudson boutique Nina Z offers a shopping experience that isn’t available via the Internet. “Customers come in and experience what the store smells like, what music is playing, and how the garments feel; they enjoy conversations,” said Nina Ziefvert, proprietor of the shop. In fact, that’s how my friend Julie and I connected with Nina. The engaging conversations we had in her store sparked the idea for this story.

Ziefvert opened the doors to Nina Z nearly a decade ago. She believes that she was lucky to get through the pandemic and current political and financial climate and said the biggest impact on her business has been the rise of megacorporation vintage sites such as The Real Real and Depop.

“It affects our sales, but we must continue to adapt and think of new strategies. When the owner of the shop up the street copies our ideas, we’re back to square one. That’s what being creative is all about. You keep on creating; nothing is promised to last forever, so I adapt and move on.”

Ziefvert believes that, overall, shopping has changed for the better. “Right after the COVID-19 lockdown, in-person shopping experienced an upswing – at least for us.  Everyone was so happy to be able to enter a store, shop in person, touch the materials, try on stuff, listen to someone else’s pandemic playlist, spray perfumes, and talk. Lots of people were on unemployment and earning more than they had with their regular jobs, so they were spending,” she said.

She described that era as “a very special, intimate retail time because retail was one of the few places where one could go.” Back then, guidelines mandated open-door policies and a four-person maximum in stores. Masks and plexiglass barriers helped maintain safety between staff and clientele. Even with all that though, this type of shopping experience still offered a “human in flesh rather than Zoom” experience.  

Two weeks before the shutdown, Ziefvert’s ex-husband and business partner signed the lease for Bontleng, another store next to Nina Z. During the pandemic, their destination became a hub in Hudson. 

That’s when Ziefvert learned firsthand how retail can be so much more than just shopping. “My ex-husband is a DJ, so he played music outside our shop. People danced in the streets while keeping a safe distance. I still have people come in and tell me how important those times were for their sanity,” she said. 

Upsides & downsides

Beyond Nina Z’s merchandise mix, the shop hosts weekly kundalini (a spiritual energy in Eastern spiritual traditions) classes. It also sells work from local designers and hosts book launches from customers who have become friends. 

“A lot of locals and repeat customers come to shop, but they also come to talk and share. It is very important for me to have a bench outside my shop for staff and customers to connect. I also have several areas in the store for people to sit, rest, and read,” said Ziefvert.

On the flip side, Ziefvert said these are also the worst of times in retail. “Iffy world economies and tumultuous scenarios combined with Amazon-like vintage sites have unfortunately impacted small clothing/vintage store in-person shopping during the last year or so.” 

She’s overheard customers mention that they’ll delay purchasing until they determine if that highly coveted item they adore can be sourced online. “There will always be corporate giants to overshadow the mom and pops that are often the pioneers in the field,” she added. 

Ziefvert finds the irony. “The big sites such as The Real Real and Depop get their goodwill from selling recycled items, but meanwhile they put small businesses that are selling those same goods out of business.” She wonders what’s more important, recycling clothes or playing a role in shuttering small businesses.

With that said, this businesswoman strives to keep an open mind. “Big companies create a large job market as well, much more than a small business can, and that’s important. I’ve never had a business plan. I just do what I love and what’s an extension of my life, so I’m not sure how to relate to corporate retail and corporate America,” she said. 

One of the most important items Nina Z sells is Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. “Every time I sell a copy, I feel I did my fair share to help others heal,” she concluded. 

Nina Z is located at 344 Warren Street in Hudson, NY, visit in person or online at ninaznyc.com.

Paper Trail

Beyond its inviting brick-and-mortar shop in Rhinebeck, Paper Trail’s stationery and gift shop has an online store that it actively promotes and sells through. “It amounts to a fraction of our total volume, but is an important driver of sales in store, as well as online, and we augment it with weekly email blasts that highlight our newest designs,” said Serine Hastings, co-owner.

Hastings and her business partner, Maureen Missner, have learned that the most significant means of combating competition from online retailers is to create a truly inviting, fresh, visually stimulating store environment that encourages people to browse and engage. They fill their shop with enticing products at a range of prices.

The duo also employs sales associates who engage their customers and enjoy the process of uncovering items that bring people joy. These visionaries offer stellar customer service – following up on everything from special orders to client requests. “We are very in tune with our wonderful community and support local non-profits and events,” said Hastings.

Paper Trail is located at 6423 Montgomery St., #2 in Rhinebeck, NY, visit in person or online papertrailrhinebeck.com.

Oblong Books

This year, Oblong Books, which has locations in Rhinebeck and Millerton, NY, celebrates its 50th anniversary. Throughout the decades, the mom-and-pop shop’s co-owner Suzanna Hermans has witnessed lots of changes, including the way in which consumers shop. Within the last two decades, online shopping has become quite the norm and about eight to ten percent of the book store’s business occurs online. 

“Amazon is our number one online competitor. Amazon started out as a bookseller, and they’ve done that very well. Going online was a big move in the early 2000s. Amazon continues to have an incredible share of the book market. They’re too powerful, and I think all retail is hurt by their dominance,” said Hermans.

Oblong Books has a different philosophy. It’s not beholden to shareholders and the bottom line, but rather to the communities it operates in. Its employees spend their money in those communities, and the shop gives back to local schools and pays local taxes. 

Hermans mentioned the importance of educating customers about supporting local businesses. “It’s an important message. If you want us to be here, you must support us. It’s not a guilt trip but an education and means of making people feel good about how they spend their money,” she concluded. 

Oblong Books has two locations starting with their 26 Main St. storefront in Millerton, NY, the second being at 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck, NY. If not visiting in person, visit online at oblongbooks.com. •