The national post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy has gone far beyond Black Friday. Blowout deals now extend all the way to Tuesday, and have even crept into Thanksgiving Day itself. Don’t get swept up in the mob of crazed deal-seekers. We’ve made a plan to help you navigate holiday shopping vegan-style, score the best deals on cruelty-free gifts, and manage the entire shopping season completely stress-free.
Black Friday
Dun. Dun. Dun. Whatever you do, please, don’t let the temptation of marked-down prices lure you to the mall on the biggest shopping day of the year. The parking will be nearly impossible and the stores will be packed. Black Friday sales now extend throughout the full weekend, and while stores will still be bustling, you’ll be able to breathe more easily on Sunday. If you really can’t wait, and happen to be free by 8pm on Thanksgiving Day, go shopping that night. Many major shopping centers now open their doors early, and are not typically overcrowded on the holiday. You can swing by Sephora to collect vegan stocking stuffers such as Kat Von D Beauty’s limited edition creamy Studded Kiss lipstick set—or perhaps your local shopping center has a LUSH cosmetics store, offering an abundance of deliciously scented vegan bath goodies to gift your friends and family. Finally, check out national online vegan-friendly brands for their Black Friday promotions. Free People, with a wealth of giftable vegan clothing options, promises a blowout Black Friday sale that you can indulge in from the comfort of your own home.
Small Business Saturday
Although it’s important to support small businesses throughout the year, with Small Business Saturday sales, you can do so and keep a bit more change in your pockets. If you’re fortunate enough to live by an all-vegan shop, such as NYC/LA’s MooShoes or LA’s Vegan Scene, definitely swing by to take advantage of the discounts for holiday gift shopping. If your favorite small vegan businesses are in faraway towns, go ahead and support them online. You still have plenty of time before holiday gift-giving ensues to wait for items to be shipped. Take a peek at The Herbivore Clothing Company’s website to stock up on gifts including cookbooks and gorgeous accessories for everyone on your list. You’ll be supporting a small, all-vegan business and the gifts will put cruelty-free smiles on recipients’ faces.
Cyber Monday
Many vegan businesses are online-only these days, making Cyber Monday the prime post-Thanksgiving shopping day for all your plant-based purchases. Vegan Essentials, the massive vegan online store that carries a plethora of products from food to beauty to home goods, is a must. Another prime online-only destination for all-vegan Cyber Monday shopping is the completely cruelty-free shop, Grape Cat. You may want to gift your pals with jewelry that brings meaning, by shopping at the online store Sundara Jewel for beautifully hand-crafted vegan-themed necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. For vegan cookbooks in a hurry, you can have a library’s worth of gifts by authors including Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Oh She Glows’ Angela Liddon, and JL Fields delivered to your doorstep in just days, thanks to Amazon. And for unique handmade cruelty-free gifts, click over to Etsy and support the smallest online operations such as makers of gorgeous chocolates, Witerki, and beautiful soy candles from Moon Stone Candle Shop.
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a global movement to inspire people to give to those who need it most. Buy a hot and nutritious vegan meal for a homeless person you regularly pass on your commute to work, or donate to one of the smaller vegan non-profit organizations, that could use your support, such as The Coalition for Healthy School Food or Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary. Your donation can also double as a gift if you donate on behalf of another human. “Adopt” a farm animal from a sanctuary, or purchase fun giftable swag from your nonprofit of choice. No financial gift to an organization is too small; just make sure you budget during your shopping days in order to save some dollars to give back.
Tanya Flink is a writer and journalist living in Orange County, CA.
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