There’s something nostalgic about the idea of holiday shopping in the city. As a child of the late ’80s who grew up in rural northern Indiana, it takes me back to special trips to Chicago, when we’d drive two hours to bundle up and navigate icy sidewalks along Michigan Avenue while ogling brightly lit, elaborate window displays.

Back then, it was the big national brands we couldn’t find even at the mall in South Bend that drew us to the Magnificent Mile. As I got older, I went from hoping to spy my mom sneaking into American Girl Place to insisting on hitting up Abercrombie & Fitch to spend my babysitting money on cotton T-shirts (the cheapest thing they offered with that coveted logo) for my BFFs. The goal, essentially, was to find the items you’d seen in catalogues or TV commercials and already knew you wanted.

5280 November 2024
More From The Issue

Today, in an era when those sorts of things are easily acquired from your couch with your phone in hand, in-person shopping has become a different kind of treasure hunt. To give folks a reason to leave their homes, brick-and-mortar retailers are now tasked with offering the unexpected—and Denver shopkeepers are rising to the challenge. Not only are the following 16 stores stocking unique, thoughtful, local gifts that will thrill anyone on your list, but they’re also enhancing the shopping experience with the likes of cocktails and tacos, fun customization options, and even the chance to huck a tomahawk at a slice of wood on the wall—core holiday shopping memories that beat online scrolling, for sure.

Shop in Denver:

Shop in the Metro Area:

Jump Ahead to Best Places to Shop for Stocking Stuffers.

Town Hall Collaborative

woman reading book
Photo by Stephen Cardinale

525 Santa Fe Dr., Baker
If you’ve heard of two-year-old Town Hall Collaborative, you might think of it as a place to see an all-female comedy show, dance with your crew on queer country night, or grab a bourbon-heavy Short King and catch up with an old co-worker. In April 2024, however, the Santa Fe Drive venue that houses a Queen City Collective Coffee shop, flexible event space, and bar added a permanent marketplace where vendors sell everything from handcrafted jewelry to herbal remedies to zero-waste toothpaste tablets.

This season’s merry event schedule was TBD at press time; years past, however, have brought in a vegan holiday market, with dozens of local cruelty-free vendors selling goods such as body butter and crocheted baby booties, and a screening of Elf complete with treats inspired by the film. “We love to do a good themed holiday party,” says co-owner Denise Day. Quick tip for whenever you go: Town Hall has 25 parking spots just south of the entrance, a relief when your hands are full of purchases from these three marketplace vendors. —Priscilla Blossom

3 Shops To Check Out in Town Hall Collaborative

  • That Witch Apothecary: Whether you’re looking for incense to use in a winter solstice ritual or a trinket for that picky Virgo in your book club, check out the 100 percent vegan goods at That Witch Apothecary, all handcrafted by head witch in charge Rory Kennedy. The astrology-inspired candles are perfect for Secret Santa exchanges.
  • Rainey Pottery: From a watering can for the gardener in your life to a pretty vase for your co-worker to a dish set for your favorite couple to a coffee mug for, well, anyone, this shop stocks fired clay goods made by owners Audra and Jason Rainey. The latter is a veteran who left the health care industry to start this family business with his wife, a longtime sculptor.
  • Rainbow Reva’s: With a mission to empower readers to be confident, kind, and caring, this cozy bookstore—curated by parent and library science graduate student Reva Canali—feature social-justice-oriented reads for all ages, including biographies, historical works, memoirs, poetry collections, parenting tomes, and picture books.

Stryker Studio

rings
Photo by Sarah Banks, styling by Charli Ornett

1513 Boulder St., LoHi
This gift is a twofer. At nine-month-old Stryker Studio, you and your BFF not only can come home with beautiful, handmade baubles, but you also get to spend time together making them. By offering guided jewelry-making workshops, owner Lydia Stryker has delivered holiday shoppers a rare opportunity to slow down and actually enjoy the season of giving.

Here’s how it works: Sync calendars with your pal, book two spots in one of the near-daily workshops ($85), and show up ready to do your best Tiffany & Co. impression. When you walk in the front door, a studio staffer will guide you through the process of selecting what you want to make—a ring? a necklace? a bracelet? a bolo tie?—and help you choose a semiprecious gemstone (starting at $10) and a setting (standard options are included in the workshop fee). Our suggestion: Each person should pick the components they like but then swap so you’re fashioning one another’s jewelry. Worried your handiwork will make your present look a little too homemade? Fear not; a silversmith instructor will assist you with all the fluxing, soldering, pickling, polishing, and burnishing so you’ll be sure to craft a gift your friend can enjoy all year long. —Lindsey B. King

Alyth Active

1224 Washington Ave., Suite 135A, Golden
Theresa Gardner and Alysha Schuring knew they’d be entering a supersaturated athleisure market when they decided to launch Alyth Active as an e-commerce business four years ago. But they felt they had identified a niche: “Athletic apparel is plagued by size 0 models who look like they work out every day,” Gardner says. “We wanted to make clothing for real people—particularly women and, more precisely, moms.” To fashion threads that would ebb and flow with women’s constantly changing bodies and on-the-go schedules, the thirtysomething friends played around with spandex-to-nylon ratios, reimagined where stitching falls on diverse bodies, and focused on neutral colors that can make a top acceptable attire for a morning at the office and an afternoon in the park.

When they heard feedback that customers wanted a location for in-person perusing, Gardner and Schuring opened their Golden shop in 2022 and a micro location in Lakewood in 2023. When their husbands complained that they wanted Alyth duds, too, the duo started a men’s line in 2023. Last month, Alyth expanded to Breckenridge. “Our most popular products are our women’s dynamic leggings—the ribbed fabric blurs out those perfect imperfections—and the men’s Worthy shorts and Strong tees,” says Gardner, who adds that holiday shoppers really can’t go wrong because “we bump up our free returns policy from 30 to 45 days in case that gift doesn’t fit just right.” —LBK

Ebisu Japanese Lifestyle Store

2727 S. Parker Rd., Unit C, Aurora
As life-size figurines of One Piece’s Monkey D. Luffy and Naruto’s Son Goku usher you into Ebisu Japanese Lifestyle Store, it might seem that the brightly lit emporium only caters to an anime audience. But since it opened inside the Shoppes at Parker Commons three and a half years ago, the storefront has invited Front Rangers of all persuasions to find delightful Japanese novelties among its neatly stocked rows. According to store manager Nana Guan, the 5,000-square-foot shop—one of a dozen or so American storefronts operated by a rapidly expanding Osaka-based exporter—grants customers the fun of perusing its imported products in person and eliminates prohibitive shipping fees.

Although Ebisu specializes in apparel, stationery, toys, and other collectibles from popular Japanese media franchises such as Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and Demon Slayer, there’s plenty else for gift shoppers. Assemble a snack box for your favorite foodie out of spicy crayfish Lay’s chips, latte-flavored hard candies, and bottles of Calpico (a noncarbonated soft drink that tastes like yogurt). Or nab kid-friendly wooden block puzzles and tubes of sheer green lip gloss from the Land of the Rising Sun—by way of the North Pole, of course. —Ethan Pan

Denver Plant Club

potted plant
Photo courtesy of Denver Plant Club

1876 S. Broadway, Platt Park
Patrick Gonzales is a half-Hispanic, half-Norwegian former finance guy who counts late Breckenridge Brewery founder Richard Squire as one of his most influential mentors. In fact, it was Squire who encouraged Gonzales, now 42, to get out of the accounting game in 2017 and find something he was passionate about. So, after traveling the world, Gonzales decided to open the Denver Plant Club, a sustainability-focused plant store along South Broadway. “The Norwegian half of my family immigrated to North Dakota and became barley farmers for Budweiser,” Gonzales says, “so I feel like I’ve always understood plants. Most just need a little love and attention to thrive.”

Since November 2023, Gonzales and his staff have been teaching Denverites what that looks like—e.g., exactly how much water and how much light—so they can be successful plant parents. “We’ll start people off with beginner plants like pothos, money trees, snake plants, and ZZ plants, which also make great gifts,” he says. “That way, you don’t give something to someone and make them worry they’ll just kill it.” —LBK

New West KnifeWorks

man in store
Photo by Stephen Cardinale

185 Fillmore St., Cherry Creek
Walking into New West’s two-year-old store is a little like walking into an art gallery—an art gallery that lets you throw tomahawks, that is. Up front, kitchen knives with vibrantly colored handles are displayed on pedestals in gorgeous wood-and-rock blocks, perfectly spaced on magnetic racks, and even placed inside frames on the bright white walls. “We’re taking this everyday tool and making it a little piece of functional art that you use every day,” says Mike Milligan, brand manager and brother of New West founder Corey Milligan, who began making knives for craft shows more than 25 years ago in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Over the decades, the brand has refined its techniques and materials to develop heirloom-quality products it backs with a lifetime warranty (for noncommercial use) and free sharpening.

Along with a handful of storefronts from California to Montana, New West runs a sub-brand called MTN Man Toy Shop, and it’s in that section of the Cherry Creek shop that the retail team teaches shoppers how to huck a nearly 19-inch tomahawk. Once you’ve had your fun, pick out one of the following form-meets-function gifts for someone on your (very) nice list. You can even add a custom laser engraving to remind them who to thank when they’re doing meal prep every night. —JL

4 Gifts to Buy at New West KnifeWorks

If your giftee cooks: Lots of fresh vegetables
Get the: 7-inch Teton Edge Santoku ($400)
Because: The etching of the Teton Range along this all-purpose home chef’s knife isn’t just for show; it also makes sure it slices cleanly through sticky ingredients like onions.

If your giftee cooks: Meat
Get the: 10-inch Yellowstone BBQ ($575)
Because: The knife was created in partnership with Gator Guilbeau—who plays a chef on the hit Western drama series Yellowstone and also actually cooks for the cast and crew—and the badass blade’s clip point is perfect for stabbing steaks and carving up smoked turkey.

If your giftee cooks: Anything, or nothing
Get the: 6-inch Petty ($255)
Because: The stainless-steel alloy used to create this unintimidating, lightweight knife is thin but superstrong, holds its sharpness, and makes everyday kitchen tasks like slicing up apples a joy.

If your giftee cooks: By the campfire
Get the: Tactical Outdoor Chef ($450)
Because: This new-this-year blade’s partial serration is designed to cut through rope or the hide of a freshly harvested antelope just as easily as a hunk of bread. Its rubber composite handle provides a slip-free grip in wet or dry conditions

Rancher Hat Bar

woman and hat
Photo by Stephen Cardinale

2445 E. 3rd Ave., Suite 1, Cherry Creek
Anywhere fashionable gals gather, at least a few of them are bound to be wearing Western-inspired, wide-brimmed hats. Making sure yours stands out in the sea of felt is the problem this nearly two-year-old brand, which was born in a vintage trailer in California, wants to solve. In September, its fourth brick-and-mortar location opened in Denver, and it’s a party, y’all. Country music blasts through the speakers, and staffers hand out sparkling water to customers who can spend hours selecting the perfect combo of adornments for classic cowboy hats (starting at $50 with hundreds of accessories that range from $5 to $45) or punny, sassy patches for trucker hats (starting at $25). Save your BFF the decision fatigue and use the knowledge you’ve collected about her over the years to assemble a headpiece that will make her feel seen. —JL

  1. Hats: Many of Rancher Hat Bar’s felt hats are adjustable, which is good because purchases are nonrefundable and nonreturnable. Choose among neutral shades like tan, black, and brown—or, if your friend is a flashier dresser, go for teal or hot pink.
  2. Bands: As the base layer of most hat designs, bands set the tone: Braided horsehair lends an authentic cowboy feel, colorful leather cords skew hipster, lace dresses things up, and frayed-edge fabric (layer a few in complementary colors) works with just about anything.
  3. Flair: If your girlie likes to glitter, add blingy elements like rhinestones or metal chains. For a more natural beauty, consider feathers or beads. You can even bring in your own items (think: a wedding dress swatch or heirloom brooch) for an extra personal touch.
  4. Branding: From her initials to the coordinates of the college dorm where you met to a sun design to symbolize her bright disposition, the options for what can be burned into the hat’s felt are as endless as your Instagram meme exchanges.

Garage Sale Vintage

woman with album
Photo by Sarah Banks, styling by Charli Ornett

1701 Pearl St., Boulder & 1445 Larimer St., LoDo
It’s a bar…it’s a store…it’s Garage Sale Vintage, which opened in February on the east end of Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. Stroll in and order a couple of birria tacos and a Watermelon Crush margarita from the U-shaped bar. Then browse the racks of flowy hippie-era duds, ironic ’80s ringer tees, and theme-party ’fits (looking at you, neon orange Euro-style ’70s ski onesie) while your order gets prepped.

The idea here is to fight fast fashion and divert landfill waste by procuring authentically old pieces from local vintage vendors and through a buy-sell-trade program for patrons—all while putting out stay-a-while vibes. The store defines “vintage” as anything older than 17 years, and the atmosphere reflects that mélange of bygone decades: M*A*S*H* reruns loop on flat-screens under an art deco ceiling hung with a spinning disco ball, and neon bar signs illuminate trendy modern-industrial exposed ductwork. Coveted items such as retro vinyl, comic books, and throwback concert posters—plus a huge wall of hot sauces—add to the appeal and the gift-shopping possibilities.

Owner Josh Sampson’s Garage Sale Vintage empire also includes a Larimer Square location in Denver and outposts in Nashville and New York City—evidence that with the right twists, brick-and-mortar retail can thrive. “The online shopping experience is its own sort of video game addiction,” he says. “You either want to be around people or you don’t.” Need more incentive to buy in the flesh? Customers who ring up $100 or more earn a free shot of infused liquors like the Super Freak (strawberry vodka) or Purple Rain (gin with lemons and lavender) at the bar. —Julie Dugdale

Second Wind Sports

1901 S. Broadway, Overland
Even if you’re looking for a gift, buying brand-new outdoor gear often seems like a waste of cash. After all, a well-cared-for, previously owned backpack works just as well as a never-used version—and likely costs half the price. At least, that’s the idea behind Second Wind Sports, a well-curated consignment shop that opened along South Broadway in February 2023.During multiple late-summer visits, our arms were full of potential present purchases, but we were particularly pumped about these three finds. —LBK

3 Gifts to Buy at Second Wind Sports

  1. Kukoofyer pickleball set ($30): With two paddles, four balls, and a carrying case, this set—which would cost roughly $60 new—will make your buddy reconsider having turned down the chance to dink his way through your fall beer league.
  2. Chaco women’s adjustable strap classic sandals ($30): Why would anyone shell out $105 for footwear that’s really only necessary during whitewater rafting trips? Instead, opt for a gently used pair—we spotted several sizes and colors—that can be worn once and then forgotten about until the next river adventure.
  3. Osprey Aether 60L men’s backpack ($180): Cortez-based Osprey’s packs are made tough enough to take a beating from multiple owners, so picking up a used one—the discontinued Aether 60L’s replacement costs $390 new—is a total pro move.

Wild West Baby Co.

dress
Photo courtesy of Wild West Baby Co.

3875 Tennyson St., Berkeley
It might appear as though Britni Jensen has bad timing. She founded Inspyre, a women’s clothing boutique, in 2011, just as e-commerce was taking off. She opened April & West, Inspyre’s elevated sister concept, the day before COVID-19 shutdowns. And this past spring, she launched Wild West Baby Co.—then shortly gave birth to her third child. Still, Jensen has continued to grow her physical retail presence: In addition to those shops, all now located on Tennyson Street, Inspyre has locations in Lone Tree, Cherry Creek, and Littleton. We talked with the shopkeeper about how she’s defying market trends and why you can trust the gift-worthy goods at her new baby store. —JL

Editor’s note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

headshot
Photo courtesy of Britni Jensen

5280: What made you decide to launch Wild West Baby Co. while in your third trimester?
Britni Jensen: I just get these bursts of ambition—I opened April & West when I was seven months pregnant. Other people do nesting; I open businesses. Maybe it was partially because I had my first child during COVID, in June 2020, and I felt like I missed out on this crucial piece of just wandering through a baby store and snuggling stuffies and asking the salesperson, “What does this product even do?”

How have you survived the post-pandemic surge in online shopping?
Recently, we’ve seen much more traction in store versus online. So many people are getting burned by photo editing, and then they’re like, “This is nothing like the picture; this quality feels like garbage.” I have touched every garment that enters all of our stores. You’re not going to be bamboozled. You don’t have to worry about what’s coming from a source that you don’t believe in—their ethics or their morals. I will be your filter and do that vetting for you.

Any gifting suggestions?
When a postpartum mom can cuddle up with a blanket from Barefoot Dreams or Little Giraffe—that’s just beautiful, when you get this little touch of elegance. Or, if it’s the middle of the night and the baby’s fussy, then we have these weighted stuffed animals that smell like lavender, and they give parents a little brightness. I’m speaking from experience.

Denver Premium Outlets

13801 Grant St., Thornton
I come from a family of bargain shoppers. Employees at multiple Front Range locations of Costco know my mother by name. When aunts and cousins living in Bangkok visit us in Denver, they always depart with suitcases stuffed with discounted name-brand clothing and cosmetics. And my sister-in-law and I make an annual all-day excursion to the Outlets at Castle Rock.

My affinity for retail therapy reached new levels of credit card debt when Denver Premium Outlets opened in Thornton in 2018. Less than 10 miles from my home, the outdoor shopping center has 70-some stores with deals to be scored on everything from Kate Spade purses to Le Creuset cookware.

On temperate fall days, my husband, Gavin, and I push our one-year-old, Jack, in a stroller while we stock up on gift-worthy goods. At lunchtime, we devour cheese-stuffed Korean corn dogs from ThirsTea Tiger in the food court. Then, while I hit the Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store for cologne for my dad, Gavin takes Jack to watch the bigger kids play on the mall’s sprawling playground, where we hope he will someday make friends on the slide and ropes course. I love heading home with items ready to be wrapped and nestled under the tree. But knowing our family’s shopping traditions will bring joy to another generation is more satisfying than any purchase. —Patricia Kaowthumrong

Flouwer Co.

lady under honeycomb shelves
Photo by Stephen Cardinale

4332 W. 35th Ave., West Highland
It was a shared love of throwing get-togethers that bonded Flouwer Co. co-owners Theresa Halliburton and Kristen Kapoor. Around 2018, they began making and selling charcuterie boards and then launched a foodstuffs business around their smash hit dried-flower-studded crackers in 2019. So perhaps it’s not surprising that their two-year-old shop brims with mostly edible small-batch products that make perfect gifts to have at the ready for the hosts of all the parties this season brings. Stock up on Flouwer Co.’s flagship goods, and when you give them out, pass along Kapoor’s suggestions below—or use them yourself when you unexpectedly have company over the holidays and need to put out an effortlessly gorgeous spread. —JL

4 Gifts to Buy at Flouwer Co.

  1. Artisanal Crackers, No. 1 ($12): “We were really careful with the flavors so that it has flavor on its own, but it’s not going to overpower or distract if you use it with a cheese,” Kapoor says. Set out a bowl of these beauties—which are flecked with dried marigold, calendula, blue cornflower, chive blossom, and rose—with Burrata or high-quality salted butter.
  2. Finishing Sugar ($18): No-brainers for a kids cookie-decorating party, these colorful sugars—in orange blossom, French lavender, and sweet rose water—also elevate grown-up treats. “I’ll cut the top off of a Brie, sprinkle the orange sugar on top, and then [caramelize it with] a flame,” Kapoor says. Or rim a London fog latte or French 75 cocktail with the lavender variety.
  3. Cocktail Cubes ($18): Offered in the same three flavors as the finishing sugars, Flouwer Co.’s cocktail cubes add floral sweetness to just about any drink. Drop them into glasses of bubbly or use them to add a twist to a gin and tonic.
  4. The Garnishing Set ($36): This pairing combines Flouwer Co.’s floral garnishing salt and edible petals, which are, Kapoor says, “the easiest things to use, because they can go on everything.” She likes to sprinkle them on salads, bread and butter plates, and even hummus: “You probably don’t think chips and hummus is very exciting, but I swear, if you just take a spoon and swirl it around, put a little olive oil and then the garnishing salt on top, it’s a completely different dish.”

The 4 Best Shops for Stocking Stuffers

jar
Photo by Sarah Banks

Blackbelly Market

1606 Conestoga St., Suite 1, Boulder & 4324 W. 41st Ave., Berkeley
When charcuterie destination Il Porcellino Salumi closed its nearly decade-old Tennyson Street shop early this year, it left a soppressata-size hole in the neighborhood’s heart. Luckily, Boulder-born Blackbelly Market swiftly moved in to fill its meat curing and butchering shoes.

Although Santa may not want to hang a rib-eye from the mantel overnight, cured meats like Blackbelly’s sticks of Spanish chorizo and rounds of salami and pepperoni are good at room temp for months. Foodies will also appreciate the shelves filled with high-quality, locally made pantry items such as Primo jams (in sweet-heat flavors like blackberry serrano and cherry Aleppo) and jars of pour-it-on-everything Chile Crunch. The market even uses dehydrated pork skin to make dog treats for your Frenchie’s stocking…because of course your Frenchie has a stocking. —Allyson Reedy

dog toy
Photo by Sarah Banks

Luke & Co.

530 Broadway, Speer
Most pet stores look like they’ve been designed without regard for the humans who spend money there—but not eight-year-old Luke & Co. Proprietor Luke Johnson spent nearly four years building a modern barn-esque structure around an existing 1948 gas station on Broadway before moving into the nearly 6,500-square-foot space in December 2023.

Rough-sawn timber shelves hold kibble, toys, collars, and leashes, and a 19-door freezer is filled with perishable food, but Johnson says the hot gift of 2024 is Colorado-based Woof’s rubber, refillable Pupsicle. Reserve a slot during the store’s photos-with-Santa event to get a free portrait of your pet in front of a 1953 Chevy pickup and a two-story evergreen. —JL

men's undies
Photo courtesy of Shinesty

Shinesty

Multiple locations
Getting a few pair of plain Hanes in that big ole sock was probably when you realized Santa shopped at Walmart, just like Mom. Now that you’re all grown up, you can play Bad Santa by filling your SO’s stocking with naughty, unbelievably soft undies from Denver’s Shinesty, a 10-year-old, primarily e-retail clothing brand that opened a kiosk in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center in November 2023.

Shopping online for undergarments with flirty emojis and cows doing Kama Sutra poses is perfectly fine, but being able to see the Christmas-inspired Kiss Me There iteration—you can probably guess where the mistletoe is strategically placed—in person is so much more festive. —LBK

book
Photo by Sarah Banks

Boulder Bookstore

1107 Pearl St., Boulder
Any shop with a 50-year tenure has some kind of magic going on. At the Pearl Street Mall’s Boulder Bookstore, a captivating labyrinth holds page-turners across genres along with novelties that range from embroidered journals to vegan chocolate bars. Our fave picks to set out by the menorah? A Latitude 40 Degrees Colorado Trails Recreation Topo Map detailing one of your giftee’s favorite outdoor places; colorful iron-on Fantasia Products patches to spruce up your little adventurer’s backpack; and a mini clip-on light for reading in bed. For the BookTok addicts on your list, check the shop’s online events calendar and catch one of the many in-house author talks to score a signed copy. —JD