Hate the malls? Here are shopping alternatives

The holidays can drive even the hardiest of shoppers batty, and the mall averse may find themselves particularly vulnerable to the holiday shopping blues. Fortunately, there are more and more options — local craft markets, neighborhood specialty shops and online shopping — to satisfy the non-mall shopper who seeks a one-stop experience.

“We clearly are seeing people take advantage of the fact that there are more places and individuals out there that sell unique products and can customize product,” said Gilda Watters, managing director of Georgia Tourism Foundation.

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File photo/AJC

Eco Emporium, a new store in BrickWorks specializes in earth friendly products including green baby items, linens, gifts and more.

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Luxe Atlanta in BrickWorks sells clothing and accessories for women.

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Randall Fox/Handout

Holiday Shops at Atlantic Station include Hidden Teasures Jewlery, owned and operated by Clara and Jose Montemoino. photo credit : Randall Fox

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Randall Fox/Special

Holiday shops at Atlantic Station included this booth owned and operated by Linda Ingle and her partner Jeannie.

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Here’s are some less crowded, less hectic alternatives to mall holiday shopping to get you started.

Holiday markets give a hometown feel to the holidays and offer unique gifts often sold direct to customers from the artists themselves (always good if you’re trying to make a deal). Here are a couple to check out this season:

The Holiday Shops at Atlantic Station, East District Avenue at 18th Street

When: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-6:30 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Day)

Information: www.atlanticstation.com, 404-845-0793

What: The second annual open-air market designed to resemble the holiday street markets of New York brings 24 vendors to Atlantic Station. Shops feature handcrafted or homemade food, artwork, clothing, jewelry and unique holiday items. Local jewelry designer Robyn Canady says the market gives her a unique opportunity to reach shoppers who may never otherwise see her designs. Market shoppers, she said, get something special. “It’s more unique and right now with the economy, people are looking for things they can buy that are different.”

• Lylou Annual Holiday Market, Go Bar, 195 Prince St., Athens

When: 4-9 p.m. Dec. 16

Information: 706-224-1820

What: Anyone who missed the huge Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa in November will be pleased to know that one vendor, Lynn Louise Larson, aka Lylou, maker of custom handbags and owner of the Athens boutique Nourish, stages a smaller-scale holiday market. Paintings, handmade scarves, chocolate truffles, and wool hats are among the goods for sale. Prices start as low as $3 and reach $500 for some artwork.

NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING

Buckhead, Virginia Highland, Decatur and Little Five Points are the established neighborhoods where Atlantans know they can find some of the finest one-stop holiday shopping. But here are a few other areas with where the crowds are low and the finds unique.

• Midtown West/Westside: Retail options in this area have increased in recent years beginning on the strip of Marietta Street that is home to BrickWorks and moving west up Howell Mill Road. Stores such as 1*Five*O, Verde Home and Eco Emporium in BrickWorks (1000 Marietta St.) offer a range of items such as clothing, books, music, housewares and eco-friendly gifts. Retailers in the Westside shopping complex (1198 Howell Mill Road) include foodie haven Star Provisions, men’s clothier Sid Mashburn and Sprout, a children’s store. There is also women’s clothing and several stores that carry home accessories.

• Smyrna: Not far from Cumberland Mall is One Ivy Walk, a collection of small specialty retailers and restaurants that offer several holiday shopping opportunities. Women’s clothing retailers include Tracy Nicole and Hand in Pocket. Lollipops and Lemonade offers personalized gift items and accessories, while Precious Cargo has gifts for babies and home accessories and furnishings for young kids.

• East Atlanta Village: The retail scene has changed a bit on Flat Shoals Road in East Atlanta Village which is home to a cluster of stores ranging from women’s apparel at Pieces of Adrene to newer stores such as Blah Blah Boutique which features apparel and gifts for babies and tweens. A music store, a rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia trading post and Traders, a home furnishing and home decor store, round out the holiday shopping options.

ONLINE

Sometimes avoiding the mall simply means powering up your computer. If you can sacrifice the local aspect, online shopping can yield great rewards. Here are some one-stop sites for the holidays:

• Overstock.com: One of the most well known sites to get anything under the sun, Overstock.com offers deals on housewares, electronics, sports equipment, jewelry, clothing and more, bringing department store shopping to your home computer. Shipping never exceeds $2.95 no matter weight, size or number of items. Special holiday links organize gifts by price, category and recipient and provide shipping information.

• Vickerey.com: The assortment of gifts such as men’s yoga gear and Moleskine journals may seem disconnected, but are all an edited selection of items intended to add character to shoppers’ lives. The site has a handy list of gift guides, organized by type of shopper, with some items starting under $15. Free shipping on orders over $60.

• Greenfeet.com: A site dedicated to helping shoppers leave a smaller footprint on the environment by providing high quality natural products and purchasing carbon offsets for all orders. Baby basics, kitchen items, jewelry, home decor and personal care items are all part of the merchandise mix. There is also a gift registry that makes it easier to let gift givers know exactly what you want.