Dec 22, 2013

Two Campaigns Seek Followers to “Shop Local”By Carolyn ShapiroHamptonRoads.com

VA – For several years, my husband and I have bought our family members Christmas and Hanukkah gifts from Feridies, the peanut processor and retailer based in Courtland.

We send a holiday pack of three cans to each household, all of them out of town. Not only are we giving them a taste of Virginia, but we’re supporting a long-running local business.

I also make a point of purchasing many, if not all, of my other holiday gifts from independent merchants. This year: earrings from a boutique in Virginia Beach; serving pieces from my favorite kitchen store, in downtown Portsmouth; nice-smelling soaps from a vendor at the Portsmouth Farmers Market; and other bath goods from a downtown Norfolk spa.

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