Hello!  

My name is Shana from Life as Wife and Mom, I am a local small shop enthusiast blogger and photographer. I am beyond excited to be invited to the magazine to share some amazing local shops within our community. When you support local, you have the opportunity to fuel a neighbour, a mother, a father, a daughter… a person in our community directly! I have made it a conscious decision to purchase as much as we can from local vendors.  

But most argue with me that it’s too expensive and inaccessible! Here is a quick guide on how to make the most out of your small shopping experience. 

Buy Bigger

Most styles look just as adorable baggy as they do fitted. A lot of companies make their clothing with cuffs, so when you roll them up they still have the same look as unrolled . I can’t believe that a lot of the items I bought last summer are still going to fit the boys this summer. I call that an epic win!  

Buy Last Season

Most shops clear out their last season stock when they have a new release coming. In the last couple of years of following the small shop community, trends haven’t changed much at all. The only new thing I’ve seen is different color pallets. Buy them during clearance, buy them bigger. 

Sell Items

There is a huge market for used small shop items. If you buy them during clearance at 40-60% off, you can resell them for 10 less then you paid. Who doesn’t like some extra cash to spend on their kids. 

Shop Warehouse/Markets

This is an amazing way to see the items in person before buying. I am such a touch before I buy person. I need to know what a fabric feels like before it can even enter my house. Most of the time they have a market/warehouse specials on. Plus going in person means you save on shipping and tax (most of the time).  

Happy shopping!