The holiday season is rolling around again, and with it comes to the pressures of shopping smart and picking the perfect presents for friends and family members. Are you trying to find just the right wrist-piece for your special someone to show him how much he means? Or maybe you’re looking for a quirky vintage outfit for the artist in your life. Whether you’re searching for books or baby gifts, antiques or artisan items, hats or home décor, Baton Rouge is full of boutique shops to suit your holiday shopping needs. Here’s a breakdown of the best places to shop for gifts in Baton Rouge:

• Anton’s Fine Jewelry
• Baby Bump
• The Backpacker
• Barker’s Antique Jewelry
• Bates & Thigpen
• Bee Vee’s Goodies
• Bella Bella
• Blink Boutique
• The Boutique
• Cajun Village Antiques
• Cajun Village Gifts
• Christian Street Furniture
• The Market at Circa 1857
• Cottonwood Books
• C&C Treasures
• Denicola’s Furniture and Upholstery
• Edit By Lauren Bailey Pollard
• Frock Candy
• Grandmother’s Buttons
• Head Over Heels
• The Keeping Room
• LD Linens and Décor
• A Little Pottery Shop
• Merci Beaucoup
• Mothers and Daughters Antique and Gift Shop
• Oh Baby! A Children’s Collection
• Time Warp Boutique

Why Shop Local?

In recent years, online shopping has dominated the holiday market. Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving and Black Friday, quickly grew into Cyber Week, giving shoppers the ability to do some or all of their holiday shopping while lounging at home. Still, you shouldn’t let the convenience of online shopping stop you from supporting local businesses. Shopping small provides a lot of benefits to you and people close to you, such as:

• A sense of community: Small business owners are more open to connecting with their customers. When you get to know the people you’re buying from, you feel better about supporting them. With big chain stores, it’s not usually clear where your money is going — it may even go towards causes you find to be morally wrong. When you buy from small businesses, you’ll feel good knowing you’re helping a part of your community stand strong.
• Economic stimulation: When you shop small in Baton Rouge, you’re putting your money back into the community. Between paying local taxes and local employees, a significant amount of your money is recirculated in the area, stimulating your local economy and keeping your community thriving.
• Better selection and quality: The products you buy from smaller businesses are sometimes handmade using high-quality materials. It’s a matter of quality over quantity. Local shops are also more likely to help you make special orders or customize your purchase.
• Better customer service: Returns and inquiries with big businesses can be time-consuming, draining and frustrating. You’ll often get an automated service or outsourced customer services that can’t directly help you. When shopping small, connecting with the company can be as easy as walking into the store or sending an email. Small businesses tend to be more understanding and accommodating while assisting you.

The average American spends nearly $1,000 every year on holiday presents, so make sure you’re investing in gifts that matter. Below, we’ll tell you what makes each shop special, categorized by merchandise type, for your ideal Baton Rouge small business holiday shopping guide for the 2021 holiday season!

Clothing and Shoes

• Anthropologie: This eclectic chain is known for its bohemian collection of women’s clothing, but that’s not the only unique merchandise it has to offer. You can also shop from a wide selection of unique shoes, accessories, beauty products and home décor. Anthropologie knows how to accent that feminine flair for the woman in your life. Find it in Perkin’s Rowe.

• The Backpacker: Located along Jefferson Highway, this Louisiana original business specializes in outdoor clothing and camping gear. Do you know someone with a love for outdoor excursions? Find a gift for your hiker, camper or explorer at The Backpacker and fuel a wild sense of adventure. Choose from a name-brand selection of fleeces, jackets, coolers, cups, hammocks, boots and more.

• Bates & Thigpen: Specializing in quality dress apparel made just for men, Bates and Thigpen is a family-owned and operated business that will help your man dress for success in the best Florsheim brands. Offering classy suits, shoes, wallets and belts, the shop also supplies professional uniforms for police, firemen, EMS and more. Visit Bates and Thigpen on 3^rd Street this holiday season.

• Bella Bella: With locations on Perkins Road and Jefferson Highway, Bella Bella prides itself on keeping fashion fresh year-round. Carrying brands like Madeline, Pierre Dumas, Qupid and Seychelles, the boutique offers clothing, accessories, shoes and bags for every occasion, from classy to casual. If you know a woman or teen with an eye for style, drop by Bella Bella on your holiday shopping rounds.

• Blink Boutique: Located on Highland Road and Corporate Boulevard, Blink Boutique offers upscale clothing for the casual, professional, fresh and fashion-forward woman. Shop from a variety of shirts, shoes, dresses and quality apparel that will make any woman feel dazzling and unpredictable. Treat yourself to style or flatter a lovely lady in your life with a holiday gift from Blink Boutique.

• The Boutique: An independent shop situated on Jones Creek Road in the Shenandoah area, The Boutique carries a unique variety of shoes, accessories and apparel in whatever style you’re searching for. Whether you’re in the market for handbags, rompers, scarves, dresses, jewelry, outdoor wear or even special LSU gameday apparel, The Boutique has you covered for trendy gifts this holiday season.

• Edit By Lauren Bailey Pollard: Offering a variety of designer clothing and jewelry in name brands like Loeffler Randall, Chloe, Rag and Bone and Theory, this upscale shop prides itself on providing only the best quality apparel by “editing” top collections and picking only the most exclusive styles for sale. Surprise a woman in your life with an outfit like no other. Edit by Lauren Bailey Pollard is located on Perkins Road.

• Frock Candy: Specializing in the most delicious selection of affordable, contemporary styles, this boutique will provide you with a colorful, exciting shopping experience. At Frock Candy on Corporate Boulevard, perfect your one-stop-shopping skills by browsing a bright collection of clothing, shoes and jewelry that are easy to mix and match for the most fun outfits this holiday season. Great for girls and women alike.

• Head Over Heels: Shooting for style, sophistication and affordability, Head Over Heels on Corporate Boulevard should be your first choice for shoe selection. The boutique prides itself on personally styled, moderately priced, fashionable footwear in brands like Cordani, Free People and Dolce Vita. Plus, you’ll find shirts, sweaters and accessories to complement the perfect pair of shoes for a unique, tasteful holiday gift.

• Merci Beaucoup: Locally-owned and located on Corporate Boulevard, Merci Beaucoup prides itself on its ability to provide the perfect complete outfit for any age. Offering classy styles and trendy new designs to fit any taste in fashion and accessories, this boutique also specializes in personal engraving and monogramming for a tailored holiday gift as unique as your friends and family members.

Home Décor

• Christian Street Furniture: If you’re looking for an eclectic centerpiece, a housewarming hutch or a new furniture piece for the whole family this holiday season, visit Christian Street Furniture on Corporate Boulevard. With a five-year full warranty and a 14-day return policy on sideboards, sofas, sectionals, TV stands and tables in quality materials and classy styles, Christian Street Furniture promises to provide family gifts that are practical and attractive.

• Denicola’s Furniture and Upholstery: Surprise your family and spruce up your household this holiday season with a newly restored version of your favorite furniture. Located on Nicholson Drive, Denicola’s offers specialty services in repair, refinishing, part replacement and custom upholstery. Choose from an eye-catching variety of fabrics and finishes to breathe new life into your home pieces or restore an antique piece to use. Your family gift this holiday season is a fresh take on the foundation of your home.

• LD Linens & Décor: Located on Perkins Road, LD Linens & Décor is a privately owned, personal boutique offering a variety of unique, exotic gifts and goods for your home. With a warm, welcoming, local atmosphere, the boutique offers art, pottery, fabric, bedding, silverware, home décor and more. Find a unique gift suited for any place in the home.

Jewelry and Accessories

• Anton’s Fine Jewelry: Have engagement on the mind? Or maybe you just want to express your affection with quality that counts. If exquisite is what you’re looking for this holiday season, try Anton’s Fine Jewelry on Coursey Boulevard. Offering rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, time pieces and designer items for both men and women, Anton’s is the place to go if you want to spend a little extra on someone special.

• Barker’s Antique Jewelry: If you know someone you’d call a gem of a person, maybe they deserve a holiday reminder of how much they sparkle. With an extensive collection of fine jewelry from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Barker’s Antique Jewelry on Jefferson Highway offers gifts as singular and dazzling as the ones you love. Choose from a constantly changing selection of antique earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings for a tasteful, individualized gift.

• Cajun Village Gifts: Located in the eclectic Cajun Village, Cajun Village Gifts is especially designed for mothers and daughters looking for gifts that show love this holiday season. Show you care by selecting something special from the shop’s variety of purses, jewelry, hair adornments, accessories, fashion clothing and more. You’re sure to find just the right pick for the one you love.

• Grandmother’s Buttons: If crafty but classy is a style you know your loved one craves, feed their creativity with a gift from Grandmother’s Buttons! Located in St. Francisville, the boutique is worth the drive for its one-of-a-kind merchandise. Founded on one woman’s family inspiration and selling hand-crafted necklaces, bracelets, earrings and watches made of 100-year-old antique buttons, Grandmother’s Buttons provides gifts with a story to tell.

• Time Warp Boutique: Located on Government Street, Time Warp Boutique specializes in trendy, original accessories with a bohemian flair. But the fun doesn’t stop there! Shop from a variety of tops, bottoms, dresses, designer wear, swimsuits, outerwear and more this holiday season for gifts that are bold, passionate, fresh and fashion-forward. Thanks to this boutique, women and teens can dress in colorful style.

Artisan Items

• Bee Vee’s Goodies: If you’re looking for original holiday gifts that bring something a little different to the table, try steering your holiday shopping to Bee Vee’s Goodies, located in Cajun Village. With unique options like monogrammed gifts, wreaths, wood designs and treasures for all ages, Bee Vee’s Goodies will make sure you find presents that are surprising, delightful and original.

Antiques and Books

• Cajun Village Antiques: Located in a 100-year-old building in Cajun Village, this antique shop brings the historic atmosphere of its merchandise to every corner of the store. Shop for kitchenware, hand-painted signs and picture frames, original artwork, ornaments and antique collectibles. Incorporating Cyprus knees, okra, oyster shells and fish scales into its assortment of hand-crafted items, Cajun Village Antiques offers gift options with a distinctive Louisiana flare.

• The Market at Circa 1857: Located on Government Street in the Mid City Cultural District, the Market at Circa 1857 combines the venues of art gallery, antique store and gift shop. Hosting more than 35 vendors with original wares and unique styles, the market is the perfect place to browse, discover and pick holiday gifts of all shapes and sizes.

• Cottonwood Books: Is there a book-lover in your family? Drop by Cottonwood Books on Perkins Road to browse a collection of more than 35,000 rare and used books and 7,000 new titles. For history buffs, the store has a specialization in Civil War books, Louisiana history and Southern literature. Give the gift of knowledge and imagination this holiday season.

• C&C Treasures: If antiques, old books and historical treasures are the kind of present that would suit someone you know, try exploring C&C Treasures in Cajun Village. Choose from an ever-changing, exciting, eclectic collection of florals, antiques, collectibles and crafts hand-picked and created by local vendors and artists. Bring home a treasure for the ones you treasure most.

• Mothers and Daughters Antique and Gift Shop: Located in nearby Denham Springs, Mothers and Daughters Antique Gift Shop is worth a detour for its original, feminine gift options. Browse travel bags, hand-painted furniture, jewelry, antiques, tea sets, dolls and more. This is the perfect place to shop for your daughter.

Baby Gifts

• Baby Bump: If you know a newborn or an expectant mother, Baby Bump is the way to go. Located on Perkins Road, this boutique is built for babies and the joy they bring. Shop from a stylish selection of maternity wear that will make any pregnant woman glow, or find the cutest clothing and accessories for the new addition to the family. Children’s clothing even goes up to age eight, so you can find gifts for the walking, talking little ones as well!

• Oh Baby! A Children’s Collection: Located on Jefferson Highway, this is a shop that’s all about kids. Choose the best apparel for your baby to preteen at Oh Baby! A Children’s Collection. And the classiness doesn’t stop with clothing. You can also shop for furniture, accessories, linen, bedding and baby gifts. Bring style to the mothers and children in your life this holiday season.

• The Keeping Room: Tailored specifically towards special occasions, The Keeping Room Stationery and Gifts is your top stop for best friends, newlyweds and babies on the way. Choose a collection of classy gifts for the ones you love, or stop by to pick up holiday supplies and accessories from greeting cards to gift tags. Make this holiday festive with The Keeping Room on Perkins Road.

Rest and Relax at the Gregory

Did you know that for every holiday, we spend an average of 15 hours shopping and three hours wrapping gifts? All that holiday work sure can make you hungry! While you’re running around various gift shops in Baton Rouge to find gifts that fit your family, you might want a to grab a bite to eat. And once you’re satisfied with your shopping extravaganza, you’ll need a place to sit down and admire your findings while rewarding yourself with a good meal.

Serving hearty local food with a unique, modern spin on Southern classics, The Gregory offers warm ambience and exceptional flavor for a dining experience that will freshen your mood and your palate! Stop in at our downtown Baton Rouge location during your holiday shopping trip – you won’t be sorry. And if you still need something extra for the stockings, pick up one of our gift cards, or drop by Milford’s on Third next door for gift baskets and knick-knacks.

We’ll make your holiday season warmer. Make a reservation today.