Gift Guide Guru: Gareth Kelly

You profiled a lot of great local places to shop for this year’s Gift Guide. What are some of your personal favorites?  I’m a big book lover, so festive shopping is always a good excuse to go and lose myself for a bit in Chaucer’s. It’s hard to find books about English soccer stars (I’m a devout Manchester United fan), but if they’re anywhere, they’re at Chaucer’s. I also love to pop into Cutler’s — their goods help take the edge off stressful shopping trips.

When do you do your Christmas shopping? Way ahead of time, totally last minute, or somewhere in between?  I’m a stereotypical dude; last minute all the way! That said, I usually know exactly what I’m after, so I get in, find the stuff, and get out. That said, with this year’s supply chain woes, I may need to adjust and try and get ahead of things.

Why should people shop locally instead of ordering from Amazon?  Local stores are part of what makes a community a community, and we’re lucky to live in such a wonderful community. Nothing can beat getting out there and meeting store owners or the artisans who have crafted the gifts, and after the past couple of challenging years for local retail, it’s also just the right thing to do.

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