Shopping online may be efficient, but there is no substitute for the experience of stepping through the entrance of a well-considered store and delighting in the joy of discovery in person.
These days, retailers take a risk in establishing a brick-and-mortar location to showcase their collections and share their vision. Reward their courage with your presence, positive feedback and sense of community. Every shop represents a dream in the making.
As a counterpoint to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we're highlighting just a few of our favorite places to #ShopLocal in L.A., hitting a variety of locations, wares and price points.
But this is just a starting point: You'll find over 100 other local retailers in the LAist Holiday Gift Guide, which curates dozens upon dozens of gift ideas to help you shop local this holiday season.
This season, meet not only the makers, but the merchants in your neighborhood and celebrate their contribution to making SoCal so uniquely our own:
Tía Chucha’s in Sylmar
Located in Northeast San Fernando Valley, Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore is dedicated to making culturally relevant books and literacy available to an intergenerational and diverse BIPOC community.
Established by Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez in 2001, the mission of the founder and his impassioned retail team is to highlight literature and storytelling that puts an emphasis on Xicanx and Latinx history and culture with an eye toward social justice and transformative healing. Home to more than 7,000 books, including bilingual children’s books, art, poetry, antiracism, queer/LGBTQIA, social change and more, the booksellers also offer book clubs, literary arts workshops, author events, and children’s story time. Some stores offer more than merchandise and this is one of them.
And if you'd like to know more about Rodriguez, the author's book about gang life in L.A., entitled Always Running, is one of AirTalk Host Larry Mantle's favorite L.A. books to give to someone who wants to better understand L.A.
The Huntington Store in San Marino
Museum stores are the perfect place to shop for unique and thoughtful gifts and Southern California has some of the very best. One of our favorites is the Huntington Store at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens due to its extensive and ever-changing mix of creative, quality merchandise with wide ranging appeal.
Inspired by the institutions’ many gardens, art collections, geography and local interests, home decor, art, books, jewelry, personal care items, kid stuff, gardening products and more are displayed in a bright and airy atrium designed with warm natural wood. The store also stocks exclusive collections of botanical prints and logo merchandise as well as books, keepsakes and ornaments specific to the museum’s collections and tea room.
Don’t miss the opportunity to take a stroll through the art and gardens while you are there for a truly enriching experience — consider it the mental health break we all need in this busy season! Consider becoming a member, too, to receive store discounts starting at 10% and up depending on membership level. It makes a great experiential gift for those who don't want more "stuff."
Letterpress Chocolate in Los Angeles
Move over Willy Wonka, Letterpress Chocolate has gold tickets too. David and Corey Menkes, the Los Angeles-based artisanal makers who roast and stone-grind every small batch of their intricately hand pressed treats, offer discovery tours that include an inside look at the cacao tree and fermentation process, sampling of cacao juice and beans, and an introduction to the machines to see how the magic is made.
Tours at their Robertson Boulevard location are $20 for ages 12 and up, and finish in the Letterpress boutique where the chocolate equivalent of sweet sommeliers guide you through a tasting of dark chocolate bars — and you'll also find a wide assortment of gift sets. We can’t think of a better way to select holiday gifts this season — or next. If you're still hungry after visiting Letterpress, here's a list of places to dine nearby. You can save some chocolate for dessert! Here are 20 more gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday gift list.
BYO Long Beach
A “Refill Station” in modern terms is a store aimed at helping consumers reduce plastic consumption and waste by allowing us to bring our own containers (or purchase a reusable container) and buy refills on everything from lotion, shampoo and conditioner to laundry detergent and dish soap when the bottle is empty. No more buying giant plastic jug after giant plastic jug, destined for the landfill when finished. With three locations in Long Beach, BYO Long Beach offers a wide selection of refillable products in addition to a well stocked supply of eco-minded merchandise, home goods, clever gifts, plants and more. Encourage a greener world with less waste by supporting the refill station closest to your home or consider a visit to a BYO Long Beach branch. It’s a gem. Also, check out our list of 17 gifts that are also kind to the planet.
The Last Bookstore in DTLA
The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. is not just a place to shop, it’s an experience to be savored. A nirvana of sorts for book lovers since 2011, the 22,000 square-foot literary gorilla in the Spring Arts Tower is organized into creatively conceived sections to display more than a quarter-million books inside the century-old bank building. Yes, the store is a gold mine for IG selfies, but stopping only to take photos of the book tunnel, the fantastical sculptural displays and vintage architectural details would be telling only half the story. The store is a treasure trove for readers looking for everything from graphic novels and travel guides to rare books, vinyl records and beyond. Book clubs, author events and sleepovers at the iconic institution are also on offer. It's in-person shopping at its finest. And if you find yourself in DTLA, here are LAist's recommendations for where to grab a bite. Check out more book gift ideas here.
Poketo in Santa Monica
Founded by Los Angeles artist Angie Myung and her partner, husband Ted Vadakan with the launch of a colorful pocket-sized wallet in 2003, Poketo has evolved into a creative powerhouse brand collaborating with forces such as Nike, MOCA, the Guggenheim, and Disney.
Their flagship Santa Monica store reflects that energy. Guided by the philosophy: Art for you every day, the bright, cheerfully designed store with a crisp, modern feel is a ray of sunshine no matter what the forecast. The store also serves as a hub for the community of artists and makers Poketo seeks to inspire, and as a result, the team received the Edge Award for Positive community impact from the Los Angeles Design Festival. Poketo's wares also land on our holiday list of best gifts to thank a party host or hostess.
The Ripped Bodice Bookstore in Culver City
Do you know a hopeless romantic? This is the place to experience the meet-cute of your dreams — not to mention getting your hands on the perfect holiday gift. The Ripped Bodice Bookstore — as the name suggests — is devoted entirely and passionately to the celebration of romance novels. The store is proudly woman and queer owned by sisters Lea and Bea Koch, and the well-built shelves heave with a lusty selection of diverse and LGBTQIA+ inclusive fiction as well a wide and deep selection of gift items with a focus on supporting independent, woman-owned businesses. In addition, the bookstore team undertakes several large projects to advance their genre each year including, The Ripped Bodice State of Racial Diversity in Romance Report, the Read, Romance, Repeat subscription box, which would make a great holiday gift, and the development of television projects based on romance novels in association with Sony Pictures Television. In 2023, the store unveiled their second location in Park Slope, Brooklyn — and the adventure continues. We have suggestions for places to dine in Culver City, too, without breaking the budget (so you'll have more to spend on holiday gifts).
Heather Taylor Home in Westwood Village
The home goods and textiles designed by Los Angeles-based creative Heather Taylor have been featured in publications such as Vogue, House Beautiful, and Domino and are stocked by trendsetting retailers such as John Derian, Nickey Kehoe and Le Bon Marche but the best place to experience them is in Taylor’s own brick and mortar store in Westwood Village.
Opened in 2018, Heather Taylor Home features not only her namesake collection, handcrafted in Chiapas, Mexico, but also a well-curated merchandise mix aimed at complimenting and enhancing her signature, eclectic style. For more shopping inspiration, check out our list of 17 unique, handcrafted gifts you can find right here in L.A.
Match Stoneware in Culver City
It’s a store, it’s a studio, it’s an experience. Shopping at the 5,000 square-foot Match Stoneware showroom in Culver City means browsing the finished collections on display while a team of artists work on creating new pieces nearby. Visitors are welcomed to enjoy a personalized tour of the studio space and offered insight into the process of how the work is created. It is as close as you can get to making the pottery without tying on an apron and getting your hands in the clay.
In addition, the handcrafted, contemporary platters, plates, cups and bowls can be seen gracing the tables of some of the finest restaurants in the region owing to collaborating with chefs across the city, including at restaurants such as Vespertine, Destroyer and Somni, to name a few. If it’s good enough for chefs Mei Lin and José Andrés, we’re in. Allow yourself enough time to shop as well as to watch the artists practice their craft. For the budget-minded, the showroom also offers a number of one-off pieces that have been discounted for slight imperfections. Score! Here are 20 more gift ideas for the foodie on your holiday gift list.
Mystery Pier Books in Los Angeles
The place to go for first-edition books. Located just off the Sunset strip, the store exclusively stocks first editions and first state copies of collectible literature and boasts an abundance of books signed or inscribed by their authors — including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ernest Hemingway, J.K. Rowling and Dr. Seuss. In addition, the store also offers shooting scripts signed by the authors as well as the celebs who headlined the film adaptations. Actor Michael Caine once said the shop is, “like the most wonderful museum, except you get to buy the exhibits.” If you are looking to browse for something special where Oprah, Angelina Jolie, Bono, Nicole Kidman and others also shop, this is the place. Dark glasses optional. And since you love clearly love reading, check out our list of 17 picture books that make great gifts for kids — and adults, which also includes a guide to other children's book stores across L.A.
Rolling Greens, various locations
With their luscious Los Angeles area locations (Beverly Grove, Culver City, Studio City, and the OC pop-up at Coco Republic), Rolling Greens has established a signature style that captures the essence of the aspirational California lifestyle. At once elegantly luxe and relaxed, the stores offer plants, decor and home goods creatively displayed inside spaces you’ll want to move into. Browse for gifts, greenery or inspiration and soak in the style. To linger longer, check out the schedule of workshops or meet with a botanical barista at the Arrangement Bar to create something completely unique. Also check out our list of the 15 best L.A. gifts for plant lovers.
Kneeland Co. Rarities in West Adams
Inspired by a heritage of adventure and travel, Joanna Williams established Los Angeles-based Kneeland Co. Rarities on West Adams Boulevard as a tribute to her family’s passion for discovery. Located in the West Adams neighborhood, her store offers an eclectic mix of globally sourced home goods, jewelry, art and textiles. The location also serves as the headquarters for Williams’ textile archive, online website and advisory service for both residential and commercial clientele. Rarities, William’s word for the one-of-a-kind art and decor she curates from around the world, can be shopped according to country or featured artist and her passion for design and spirited style infuses the store with a meaningful sense of place. For more unique gifts, check out our curated list of artisanal gifts you can only find right here in L.A.
Vintage & antique markets, various locations
Vintage items have soul. They are also a great way to imbue your space with personality and individual style. Southern California has some of the best vintage markets in the country — in fact you’re likely to see them featured on design shows like HGTV’s Flea Market Flip and topping vintage shopping lists on the regular. Go for the people watching (celebrities, designers, trend setters), hidden treasures, and the fascinating stories behind the merchandise. The vendors know their stuff. Find out everything you can about what you are buying — and return home with stories of your own. Here are a few of our favorites:
First Sunday of the month: the Pasadena City College Flea Market, free, $2 parking fee|the Santa Monica Airport Antique Market, admission, $5; children are free|Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, tickets for admission sold online only, $13 - $20; children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Third Sunday of the month: Long Beach Antique Market, admission $10 - $15; children under 12 free. Fourth Sunday of the month: Santa Monica Airport Antique Market takes place again, admission, $5; children are free.
This story had been updated and republished.
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Editing and writing
- Rene Lynch, Gift Guide Editor
- Ross Brenneman, Education Editor
- Bonnie McCarthy, Freelance Writer
- Gab Chabrán, Associate Editor, Food and Culture
- Mariana Dale, K-12 Reporter
- Larry Mantle, AirTalk Host
- Christine N. Ziemba, Best Things To Do Reporter
Art
- Erin Hauer, Visual Designer
- Olivia Hughes, Illustrator
Other support
- Sabir Brara, Digital Product Project Manager
- Redmond Carolipio, Copy Editor
- Anne To, Intern, Copy editing
- Chanelle Berlin Johnson, Director Audience Engagement
- Kristine Malicse, Associate Editor, Audience Engagement
- Megan Garvey, Executive Editor
