It’s almost Thanksgiving, which means the scramble will soon begin to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. While many of you will turn to your computers to order all of your presents at once, some, like myself, prefer the festivity of shopping for presents IRL.
Lucky for us, many local e-commerce startups are opening — or have already opened — brick-and-mortar shops around the city. Get those shopping carts ready.
Want authentic, Italian-made leather shoes that you can actually afford? M. Gemi, a local fashion e-commerce company, connects consumers with family-owned shoemakers in Florence who make high-end fashion both accessible and affordable. The company, which curates flats, heels, boots and sneakers starting around $178, has a storefront location at Boston’s acclaimed shopping destination, 172 Newbury Street.
Often referred to as the “ultimate destination for home goods,” Wayfair sells everything you’d ever need to outfit your home: chandeliers, sofas, mirrors, hanging chairs and much, much more. The Boston-based startup is headquartered in Copley Square but is opening two pop-up shops just in time for the holiday season. One will be located in the Natick Mall, and will be manned by customer service and home design experts to answer shoppers’ questions and recommend products.
Lovepop designs and manufactures intricately designed, laser-cut paper cards for every occasion, including cards shaped like tiny Nintendo devices, dinosaurs, Beatles band members, Star Wars characters and much, much more. The card startup has pop-up locations in the Prudential Center and Faneuil Hall Marketplace so you can peruse their cards in person.
