As shipping date deadlines for Christmas delivery came and went last week, local makers and vendors were ready for shoppers on the hunt for last-minute gifts they can grab, wrap and hand off.
"My wife is the buyer, and she ordered a lot early in anticipation of that, and we were stacked to the gills," said Eric Landrum, the owner of Local Only Gifts & Goods on the North Shore. "A lot of our customers know that shipping is more tricky and expect delays. People are more wanting to get in and see it."
The U.S. Postal Service set Dec. 15 as the shipping date to hit for delivery of gifts by Christmas through regular mail, Dec. 17 for first-class deliveries, and Dec. 18 for priority mail. But while buying local may be a good way to dodge supply chain kinks and shipping delays, locals haven't been immune from those challenges as they've prepared for the holiday.
"I've absolutely had issues," said Carrie Black, the owner of Luna Lime Candles. "The glass jars that I use specifically just completely evaporated overnight, and I had to make a really hard pivot and change up the glassware I use, and that's such a large component of the product."
Adrienne Cooper, the owner of Moonlight Roller, which sells roller skates and related products, manufactures her skates overseas, and that's a tricky proposition these days, she said.
"Supply chain issues do have us tore up right now," she said. "It's a process trying to juggle getting shipments."
But she also has a Cherry Street store where local shoppers can roll up and find what they need, Cooper said.
"We're fully stocked and have things at the shop we don't have online," she said.
Making matters just a little more complicated, the website for Moonlight Roller was down most of Wednesday – the last day to get in orders for Christmas delivery. The business had changed hosting vendors, and there was a gap in service, Cooper said.
"That's kind of a bummer, but we've had some really great sales in the last couple days," she said.
At I Go Tokyo on the North Shore, owner Margaret Armour has struggled to get some of her mainstays from overseas, but she has still managed to maintain a good supply of unique gifts from sake sets to plush toys, she said.
Last call
This is the last weekend for the Holiday Market at the Chattanooga Convention Center, where local makers will peddle gifts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. before closing it out for the winter.CO.LAB gift guide: colab.coLocals Only: localsonlygiftsandgoods.comShopLocalChatt: shoplocalchatt.carrd.co
"Everything I import is from Japan, so shipping costs on that have almost doubled," she said.
Black, who owns Luna Lime candles, created a website to highlight local makers and artists last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic was hurting their ability to get out and sell their goods. This year, she's so busy that she's hired her first employee, and she's working steadily to get orders filled, she said.
"Get your orders in – the sooner the better," she said. "I'm a small business, so I'm trying my best, but we can't all be Amazon."
In addition to shipping her candles, she sells them at the Chattanooga Market and a couple of local businesses, Black added. This is the last weekend for the Holiday Market at the Chattanooga Convention Center, where local makers will peddle gifts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. before closing it out for the winter.
Small-business booster CO.LAB produced a local gift guide that highlighted Chattanooga businesses with products ranging from roller skates and bird feeders to dining tours and apparel.
"We know about their products and believe in their products," said Chloe Morrison, communications director for CO.LAB. "To avoid supply chain issues from bigger box stores, shopping locally is a really great option and it feels good when you know who you're supporting."
Contact Mary Fortune at mfortune@timesfreepress.com. Follow her on Twitter at @maryfortune.