Last-minute shoppers opting for local products over ordering online
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. -- It's a holiday tradition: last-minute shopping. Many Minnesotans aren't risking online shopping, hoping gifts come in time. Last-minute shoppers are being thoughtful -- buying local, sustainable and vintage.
A little cold weather couldn't keep Caren Gaytko away from some last-minute holiday shopping.
"I have a few, a few folks to still buy for. The hard to shop for ones. And they'll know now when they see this and get their gifts. But it's also the most fun," said Gaytko, a last-minute shopper from Robbinsdale.
Gaytko stopped into Minnesota Makers in Robbinsdale where the work of over 150 artists is featured. She loves the stories behind the items.
"I mean, that's what really kind of sells the thing because as I share the gift, I'm able to say, 'Hey did you know these bowls came from the fallen trees on the property of the woodworker?' Those are great stories," said Gaytko.
"We have a lot of people who come in with a specific goal every year to only shop local and really look for Minnesota made products," said Christa Kalk, owner of Minnesota Makers.
That's the case for Chellie Sebold of Crystal, who brought her kids along.
"Our son is 9 and he likes, he's playing around with whittling and wood and those kinds of things. So, these are really cool to see, and the jewelry for who we're shopping for today," said Sebald.
Next door at Finds on Broadway, nostalgia is the name of the game.
"We sell a lot of Pyrex sets, Fiesta Ware. Things that bring them back to a time when grandma would do the place settings in the vintage Waechtersbach with the Christmas tree plates," Finds on Broadway vendor Rob Doliber said.
Doliber says he's seeing a lot of customers coming to them after having difficulty with shipping delays.
"A lot of them are having a hard time with their online shopping, some delays, some stuck that they're finding is not in stock," said Doliber.
Back at Minnesota Makers, we asked about men who wait until the last minute to shop.
"They usually have a slight idea of what they're looking for, or they fake it really well," laughed Kalk.
