By Marc Levy, Friday, November 27, 2020 (Cambridge Day)
A Winter Holiday Shopping Guide has been released by Cambridge Local First in partnership with the city. Its 98 pages make it easy to find hundreds of small businesses and nonprofits within easy reach, just in time for Small Business Saturday and the arrival of a holiday shopping season of particular importance after fiscal years battered by coronavirus.
The guide is on the Cambridge Local First website, where it can be popped out of its reader and downloaded as a PDF for people who want to use it offline.
Small Business Saturday “encourages the patronizing of businesses that are small and local,” which keeps money circulating inside the community instead of sending it away like with online retailers such as Amazon. The small, independent businesses “typically consume less land, carry more locally made products, are located closer to residents and create less traffic and air pollution,” the guide notes.
“Supporting our local businesses helps build our community and define our character,” the guide says. “And they’re unique! When you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift this holiday season, nothing beats [what’s] found in an individually owned business.”
The guide is divided into eight areas citywide, from East Cambridge to West Cambridge, Huron Village and Observatory Hill, but there’s a master index as well and a breakdown of businesses by category. Each listing includes a brief description along with an address, phone number and links that take users directly to a business’ website and social media. Keep an eye out for helpful icons next to each business’ name – the shopping carts identifying retailers may be most useful for buying physical presents, but the icons denoting the creative arts and nonprofits may come in handy on next week’s Giving Tuesday.
“For our nonprofit partners, we encourage you to give support on Giving Tuesday, a global day of recognition for nonprofits that are working to transform their communities,” the guide says.
Some of the listed businesses – and some additional popups – will be gathered at the Central Square winter market known as Popportunity, which opens on Small Business Saturday in the Starlight Square outdoor complex.
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