With Black Friday a week out, big-box stores are gearing up for sales that will no doubt spark riots outside of Walmarts and mob fights over Blu-ray players at Best Buy. But when the dust settles on Friday evening and shoppers refuel with Thanksgiving leftovers, they should stop and consider local businesses that have their own fair share of deals going on this holiday season. Tucson is home to a number of boutique clothing stores, record shops and vendors that really don’t fall into a particular category. Here’s a list of four stores worth stopping at on Small Business Saturday:
Pop-Cycle — 422 N. Fourth Ave.
The Fourth Avenue boutique features a selection of clothes, home decor and jewelry, all made from recycled products and many of which are produced by local artists. With an entire inventory made of re-purposed materials, the store is the perfect stop to grab a gift for that friend who’s always criticizing your energy use.
Ooo! Outside of Ordinary — 905 E. University Blvd.
Only three years old this October, this Main Gate Square store offers a selection of housewares, clothing, jewelry and art. If its name wasn’t any indication, Outside of Ordinary prides itself on offering a selection of out-of-the-box items that can’t really be found anywhere else. And with it being so close to campus, perhaps this is your first stop to find a gift for that friend who has always been so hard to buy for.
Nowhere to Land — 414 E. Seventh St.
For anyone interested in refurnishing that special someone’s home, Nowhere to Land might be a good place to start. The local shop just off of Sixth Street specializes in vintage and antique furniture.
But the store doesn’t stop at furnishings — it also offers a variety of vintage knick-knacks, jewelry and art prints. While you’re there, stop by the store’s free library, where any book is fair game and there’s no need to return it.
Zia Records — 3370 E. Speedway Blvd. and 3655 N. Oracle Road
You don’t need to wait until April’s Record Store Day to celebrate local record shops, too. With a pair of stores in Tucson, five in the Phoenix area and two in Las Vegas, Zia Records is a great place to find new and used CDs, vinyls and DVDs. So while it may be a challenge to find out what obscure indie band your friend is currently listening to without being too obvious, chances are you’ll be able to find a vinyl of their latest record at Zia.
