This Christmas I wanted to write something a little different. Something special…fun…exciting…a blog about presents!
I’m a strong believer in supporting our neighbours and shopping local; this year more than ever!
Our Aussie retailers have braved one of their toughest storms to date. If there was any year to support them, this would 100% be it!
After all, it’s small businesses that are responsible for over 97% of employment in this country!
Shop local and score yourself (or your loved ones, I guess…) some pretty bang-on pressies. It’s a win-win really!
Plus, these retailers all sell online, so you can do all your shopping in the safety of your home, comfy-as-heck in your PJ’s, with a glass of wine and some cheese. Honestly, you can thank me later!
Our list is packed with MI Academy friends, clients and all-around Aussie retail legends.
So without further ado, here it is!
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
| The Iconic | Everything from sweet new sneakers to the latest bling (men and women) | St Frock | Sydney-based Australian women’s online fashion boutique. |
| Shhh Silk | The best silk pillowcase and silk eye mask for a good nights sleep. | Wittner | A stunning collection of leather boots, heels, flats and wedges for all occasions. |
| Stuff4Blokes | The best of men’s casual wear | Esther & Co | Carefully selected dresses, playsuits, tops, accessories, and beauty ranges. |
| HoMie | Streetwear clothing social enterprise. 100% of profits support people experiencing homelessness or hardship. | Tiger Lily | The ultimate holiday wardrobe, designed to take you away at home or abroad for any occasion. |
| Monique Accessories | Hand made leather bags, purses, pouches, small leather goods, clothing & accessories. | Stylerunner | Premium Women’s Activewear Brands. |
| Beserk | The store for alternative/gothic clothing, cosmetics, shoes & accessories. | Sirens Swimwear | Flattering retro 1950’s. vintage swimsuits. |
| Rollie Nation | Uber comfortable, on-trend footwear. | The Freedom State | Australian Fashion Inspired by Bohemian Creativity & Gypsy Spirit. |
| Birds Nest | 250+ fashion brands for women (shop by style and body shape) | Cue Clothing | Modern women’s fashion must-haves, with exclusive prints and styles. |
| Cool Clutch | A range of fashion bags with a Cool Secret…they have cooler bags inside! | Online Jewellery Company | A diverse range of beautiful fine jewellery and watches, combining unique finds and exceptional value. |
| Harper Lane Jewellery | Beautiful fine jewellery at competitive prices. | Hard2find | Beautiful, exceptional & quirky products you won’t find anywhere else. |
| Showpo | The best of women’s fashion in dresses, playsuits, skirts, two-piece sets and much, much more! | Nancy Bird | Bags, wallets, footwear and homewares designed in Northcote, Melbourne. |
| Baxter Blue | Alleviate the symptoms of digital eye strain whilst filtering out the harmful blue-violet light. | ModiBodi | Aussie owned. Period-proof undies that protect you all day. |
| Mon Purse | Monogrammed pouches, wallets, phone cases, tech & travel or design your own bag. | Kill Kapture | Hand-made leather products designed by ex-special ops soldiers. |
| Gabee | Australian luxury fashion accessories company known for its leather handbags, bags, backpacks & satchels. | Sticks and Sparrow | Handcrafted sunglasses, constructed with intricate care and incorporate globally sourced, sustainable materials into each design. |
| Buxom Beauty | Luxurious quality, luscious aesthetics, formidable fitting apparel and consciously considered designs. | Just Looking | New Zealand based leading-edge fashion retailer. |
| The Pink Bass | A Fashion retailer catering to all women, to make them feel good about themselves. | She Lion Group | Premium products that encourage women to #WalkFearlessly and ignite opportunity. |
KIDS
| Mr Toys Toyworld | A household name for children’s toys, games and other fun stuff. | Tiny Me | The World’s Cutest Personalised Products for Kids. |
| Little Designer Club | A fun and creative online design studio for kids to create and purchase their own handbags, backpacks and accessories. | Box for Monkeys | A great of products and we aim to keep kids happy, entertained and tech-free. |
| Sweet Elephants | Unique and practical kids and baby gifts. | Grandpas Toys | Premium quality hand made wooden toys. |
| Outlook Baby | Innovative, quality products for new families around the globe. | The Super Cool | Everyday objects to brighten up your home, your friend’s car or wherever you like to hang out. |
| Pram Fox | Making buying baby gear as pleasant and efficient as humanly possible. |
SUSTAINABLE
| Conscious Kin | Specialising in cruelty-free, natural and organic skincare, makeup and body products. | Arlo & Co | unique and bespoke décor and gifts, created with aesthetic and stylish simplicity using fine-quality materials. |
| Flora and Fauna | Australia’s largest cruelty-free & vegan shop with exclusive eco-friendly products. | Ms Frankie | Australian made vegan and cruelty-free nail polish. |
| Flow Hive | A revolutionary beehive invention, allowing you to harvest honey with minimal disturbance to the bees. | Wholesome Hub | Ethical, eco-friendly kitchen and household products. |
| Bassike | Beautiful basics made with 100% organic cotton, manufactured in Australia. | Vinnies | Your number one destination for affordable and pre-loved items this Xmas. Everything you buy or donate inspires change in your local community and supports Aussie families! |
TECHNOLOGY & BOOKS
| Appliances Online | Australia’s largest online appliance retailer with a huge range of fridges, freezers, washers and more. | Booktopia | Buy online books, DVDs and Magazine Subscriptions from Australia’s leading online bookstore with over 4 million titles. |
| Michaels Camera’s | Australia’s largest photographic video & digital camera specialist. | Poca Designs | Lightweight, durable camera bags, designed here in Australia for the everyday photographer. |
HOMEWARES & BEAUTY
| Hunting for George | A Stylish Range of Homewares, Bedding, Rugs, Prints, Pots & Accessories. | Design Stuff | Leaders in authentic Danish and Scandinavian homewares. Australia’s widest online selection of over 2000 Nordic designs. |
| Frank Body | Natural, Vegan And Naughty, Coffee Scrubs, Face and Body Products. | Raw Beauty Studio | Your one-stop beauty destination if you’re looking for men’s cologne, designer women’s perfume and more. |
| Adore Beauty | Official Stockist of 200+ beauty brands including Dermalogica, The Ordinary, Estée Lauder & Kérastase | Super Pharmacy | Order Health Care Products, Prescription Medicine And Over-The-Counter Pharmaceuticals Online. |
| Short Story | Fun, unique and inspirational gifts for every occasion. | Jacob Pod | Premium Nespresso compatible coffee pods delivered to your door. |
| Darling Street Merchants | A lifestyle store for gifts, fashion, homewares, babies with style. | Welly’s Wonders | Beautifully illustrated children’s books, custom portraits, pet portraits, people portraits, art prints, wall art and greeting cards. |
| RawBeauty Boxes | Conscious bath and body self-care range. | Serenity Plus | Inspirational giftware, unique crystals and jewellery and wellness products. |
| Mama P | Nourishing, gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free foods with a strong focus on health. | Wine By Design | Stunningly-boxed personalized corporate wine gifts. |
| Perfumery | Leading perfume wholesaler, selling quality, fresh and authentic perfumes online |
SPORT, LEISURE & MISCELLANEOUS
| Mountain Bikes Direct | Mountain Bike Parts, Clothing and Accessories. | VinoMofo | Vinomofo is the best wine deals site on the planet. Good wines, real people and epic deals, without all the bowties and bs. |
| MDC Campers | Off-road Camper Trailers and Hybrid Offroad Caravans. | Disrupt Sports | Design your own surfboard, snowboard, skateboards and yoga mats. |
| Vet Shop Group | A large range of pet supplies and accessories. | Savvy Supporter | An officially licensed NRL, AFL, Union and Football sports merchandiser. |
| Beer Cartel | Australian and International craft beer and accessories. | Tennis Gear | Cheapest tennis racquets, shoes, apparel & more. |
| The Good Drop | Delectable drops (wine) shipping direct from the Châteaux in Bordeaux France, Spain & Italy. | ATP Science | ATP Science is not only on a different page than other health companies – they’re in a different book! |
| Speedmaster | An amazing range of aftermarket automotive components. | Bockers and Pony | Luxurious gift baskets & gourmet hampers Australia-wide. |
| Motoquipe | Auto accessories superstore, specialising in tailor-made seat covers, caravan covers, floor mats, dash mats and window coverings. | Jacob Pod | Premium Nespresso compatible coffee pods delivered to your door |
| Rug + Rig | Functional, practical, and affordable workout gear | Duplex Cleaning | Exclusive distributors of the Duplex and Tecnovap branded cleaning machines. |
| Aussie Storm Shop | Emergency disaster preparedness & outdoor survival gear. | Artist Guitars | Budget-friendly, high-quality guitars, drums and accessories. |
| CleanX | Paper Cleaning Products, Janitorial Equipment, Cleaning Machinery, Cleaning Chemicals, and Packaging. | Bearings Express | Australian owned retailer and distributor of bearings, automotive spare parts both genuine and aftermarket. |
FUN GIFTS & PARTY SUPPLIES
| Sunny Life | Gift guides for the best present this Christmas under $50 | Nuts About Life | Australia’s largest selection of nuts, grains and whole food products. |
| Lucky Pet | Independent Australian pet supplies store featuring the coolest brands you love and those you’re going to love. | Costumes.com.au | Australia’s leading destination to buy costumes and party supplies online. |
| Red Balloon | From relaxing getaways to adrenaline-fueled activities, Red Balloon has the perfect gift for all. | The Party People | The largest range of party supplies, theme decorations, balloons and costumes in Australia. |
| Discount Party Supplies | A huge range of party products, at the best prices. | Catch | Low prices on the biggest brands in fashion, tech, beauty, grocery, sports, and more. |
STAFF PICKS
| Handworks Nouveau Paparie | Gifts, children’s toys and games, stationery and paperware, and plenty more reusable and environmentally friendly products. | Vesl Co | A stylish, environmentally friendly alternative to single-use plastic cups. |
| Cheeky Chickadee | Australian childrenswear brand based on one of a kind animal prints that make kids smile. | ||
| Apostl | Tasmanian made business wear, casual wear, accessories and classic statement pieces. | Forty Spotted Gin | Handcrafted in Tasmania and led by Flavour, Forty Spotted hits refresh on how we enjoy gin. |
| Selby | A great range of high-quality products for all your home audio and video needs. | Botanical Alps | A range of unique botanical skincare products that offers a wonderful eco-friendly, health-friendly, cruelty-free, toxic-free and locally made alternative. |
| Brewquets | Hand-selected brews to create a truly memorable gift. They are the beer equivalent of flowers. | Pickleball Superstore | Australia’s leading Pickleball gear supply store. |
In conclusion, you don’t need to shop from one of the retailers above, but can we ask for one simple favour? Next time you want to go shopping online, or in-store, think local!
We have so many amazing retailers in Australia and they truly need (and deserve!) our support this year.
Happy shopping legends!