You are a busy person. At the same time, you are committed to shopping locally AND finding fun, unusual gifts. This is why securing the most prezzies in the shortest amount of time is vitally important. Well, fear not: Hereâs a list of some great local stores where you can get all your unusual holiday shopping done in one fell (and jolly) swoop!
Cargo
CargoâAKA âYour Happy Placeâ (as is accurately pointed out on the sandwich board out front)âis an ideal one-stop shop for world travelers, artistic types, culture admirers, and other smarties. A couple of times each year, Cargoâs two owners go on buying trips to foreign countries where they engage artisans and merchants, load a semi-truck-sized container with fair-trade goods, and bring it back to the US, where they cram it into their historic warehouse in Central Eastside. In addition to supporting Portlandâs community of makers and traders, the storeâs ever-changing inventory includes imported goodies from India, Mali, Japan, Guatemala, and beyond; theyâve got everything from kimonos and tribal jewelry to textiles, Balinese baskets, Thai boxing shorts, pottery, books, Christmas tree ornaments, and more knickknacks than one can possibly imagine. The massive space is also home to an array of in-store shops, like Giraffe (purveyor of everyday Japanese snacks and sake), a floral shop, the Salt Empire, Rx Press, Tasi, and more. Thereâs a kidâs section, too! Also, DO NOT forget to check out whatâs in the basement: bulky statues, furniture, Japanese wedding kimonos, quilts, doors, paper lanterns, instruments, and lots of ancient decor. (81 SE Yamhill) JENNI MOORE
Tender Loving Empire
This is, quite literally, my one-stop shop for gifts in Portland. Tender Loving Empire (TLE) is stocked with Portland-made itemsâfrom liquor to ceramics to art prints to jewelry to patches. A shopping spree at TLE is the fastest way to help keep local makers-of-things making their things. Oh, and did we mention that TLE also has a record label? Whatâs a better gift for your vinyl-hoarding friend than a banginâ record by one of your favorite Portland bands? TLE is also looking out for those who forget to grab a gift until the last minuteâtheir shop at Portland International Airport has the perfect presents for hosts, cousins, pets, business buds, or other unexpected people you may run into on your travels. (412 SW 10th, 3541 SE Hawthorne, 525 NW 23rd, and Concourse D at Portland International Airport) ALEX ZIELINKSI
She Bop
You have sexy friends, right? Take one look at She Bopâs products, and youâll see this women-owned store caters to everyone, regardless of gender. They specialize in well-made, non-toxic toys for every possible interest and kink, and are very happy to answer any embarrassing question you haveâdonât sweat it, theyâve heard it all. (Pro tip: They also have monthly classes on need-to-know topics like BDSM, anal play, polyamory, oral gratification, and more!) Plus they have books, DVDs, and sexy underpants, too, if your gift receivers into that kind of thing. (And they are!) (909 N Beech & 3213 SE Division) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Value Village
God bless you, Value Village. As Portlandâs thrift stores grow increasingly bougie, Tigardâs Value Village remains the real deal, with gently used clothing (my boss keeps bragging about a âsuper comfortable, super flatteringâ Facebook-branded hoodie he got there), eye-catching art (if you need a giant framed cross-stitch portrait of a majestic lion, well, they wonât have that, because my friend bought it, but theyâre guaranteed to have something else just as inspiring), shelves overflowing with paperbacks (I found a set of Ursula K. Le Guinâs Earthsea books with matching covers), and cheap CDs, just in case you, too, rely on a dodgy CD player in a 2004 Subaru Legacy. (âAh, the classics!â the clerk said as he rung up my copies of Dookie, Check Your Head, and The Essential Billy Joel.) I have been to Value Village more than a few times, and I have never left disappointed. (12060 SW Main, Tigard) ERIK HENRIKSEN
H Mart
If you are already shopping at the wonderland known as H Martâthe somewhat newish Asian grocery store that replaced the old Zupanâs on Belmontâthen you understand why it should be included in any one-stop shopping list. Besides finding average groceries, there are TONS of things with which to thrill everyone in your holiday gift-giving lineup. For example: absolutely adorable sake in tiny jelly jars! Stationery and housewares, including super cute trainer chopsticks (a must-have, even if you already know how to use them). Packages of fish sausage that look like mozzarella sticks! Every flavor of ramen imaginable! And an insane array of unusual snacks including grilled seaweed rolls, fruit-flavored beef jerky, various styles of Pocky, and hundreds of kinds of different flavored chips (seafood, chocolate, wasabi, vegetable, spicy, and more) all in delightful packaging. Write Santa and tell him you wonât be needing any help this year. (3301 SE Belmont) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Rerun & Rerun2
To hell with getting something âshiny and newâ this holiday season. Previously owned items are just as good and far more interesting to present to the right person. If you have a healthy list of nice people to buy gifts for, peruse the racks and shelves at Rerun or Rerun2, two consignment shops filled with wares from dozens of dealers in clothes, furniture, music, collectibles, and more. Just be careful you donât end up buying more presents for yourself. (Rerun: 707 NE Fremont; Rerun2: 6940 NE Sandy) ROBERT HAM
Kitchen Kaboodle
Kitchen Kaboodle feels like it should be a national big boxâbut actually, itâs a local big box! And it doesnât just sell kitchen stuff; it also sells living room stuff, bathroom stuff, bedroom stuff, and even the occasional backyard stuff. Okay, now that weâve got those misconceptions cleared up, hereâs my hard sell on Kitchen Kaboodle: Itâs got the ease of a Target or a Walmart in that you can probably find something for all the random relatives on your listâor at least the adult ones. (Turns out kids donât love garlic presses!) But because itâs local, you wonât feel like a total asshole about it. (Multiple locations, kitchenkaboodle.com.) BLAIR STENVICK
Sheridan Fruit Company
Sheridan Fruit Company is the secret and best grocery store in central Portland. I would shop there for the robust bulk area alone (I have a truly monstrous appetite for nutritional yeast), but they also have a deli section that is on par with or better than New Seasons (better!), and a meat counter in a class all its own. True to its name, Sheridan also boasts an impressive selection of produce and seasonal fruits (Mountain Rose apples!) that youâre not gonna see in the big chain stores. This store has everything I need and none of the crap I donât, which makes it perfect for my holiday shopping list. (409 SE MLK) SUZETTE SMITH