05/26/22

Around Town

99 Places to Shop Local In Madison (2022) 

Have you ever been in an overbearing aisle of a box store and thought to yourself,

“There has got to be a better way”

How did we get here? So recently in history farmers grew crops and nurtured livestock. They distributed them within their communities and had a very short supply chain. It’s easy to think wistfully about this simpler time. But there’s no reason why this should be part of our history… not our reality.

All of your chores and errands can be done locally. Madison has some amazing locally owned stores. There’s even a zero-waste store. You can bring your own containers and fill up your cleaning supplies and shampoos in bulk.

It doesn’t matter what your motivation is. You may like supporting local entrepreneurs. You may want the highest quality. Or you might simply despise walking through the fluorescent-lit beast that is Walmart.

Madison is brimming with creative entrepreneurs and skilled artisans. In so many ways, local economies across the country are still recovering from 2020. Spending your money locally is one of the best ways to support both your community and a green lifestyle.

But the more people we meet (we’re realtors… we meet a lot of new people!) the more we realize how many people would like to shop local. But they aren’t sure where to get started. We get it! It can be super difficult to break out of the habit of your daily routines and convenience buys. This kind of thing takes time to research! So we’ve researched for you. Here are 99 places to buy local in Madison:

Groceries

• Willy Street Co-Op
• Woodman’s 
• Regent Market Co-op
• Metcalfe’s Market
• Jenifer Street Market
• Patricia’s Market
• Capitol View Farmer’s Market 
• Monroe Street Farmer’s Market 
• Dane County Farmer’s Market
• Northside Farmer’s Market 
• Hilldale Farmer’s Market
• South Madison Farmer’s Market 
• Eastside Farmer’s Market

Specialty Food & Drink

• Fromagination
• Infusion Chocolates 
• Madison Chocolate Co.
• Alimentari
• BarleyPop Tap & Shop 
• Table Wine 
• Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier 
• Nutkrak
• National Mustard Museum
• The Chocolate Caper
• The Sow’s Ear
• Candinas Chocolatier 
• Verona Wine Cellar
• Cheesers

Clothes

• Serrv International
• Madison Shoe Repair and Bootery
• Change Boutique
• Good Style Shop (vintage)
• Upshift Swap Shop
• Morgan’s Shoes 
• Twigs
• Ulla Eyewear
• Chauette
• The Purple Goose
• Kee Kee Boutique

Men’s clothes:

• Jazzman
• August 
• Journeyman Co. 

Gifts and Art 

• Little Luxuries
• Museum Store at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
• Katy’s American Indian Arts
• Calabash Gifts & Home Accents
• Zip-Dang (all products are made by the owners themselves!)
• Milward Farrell Fine Art
• Hatch Art House (upcycled art) 
• Burnie’s Rock Shop 
• The Regal Find
• Splurge
• Ubuntu Trade
• J&J Craftworks
• The Ginko Tree
• Lake Life Co. 
• Wisconsin Candle Co. 
• Red Barn Co. Store 
• Moonhill Merchantile
• Dune Gift + Home

Music & Books

• Mystery to Me
• Strictly Discs
• Sugar Shack Records 
• MadCity Music Exchange

For The Home

• Madison Modern Market 
• Orange Tree Imports
• Art Gecko
• Hazel General Store
• Brown and Beam
• The Wire Basket 
• Brass Tacks Resale 
• Nest Interior Design
• Board & Brush
• The Cozy Home
• Monona Antique Mini Mall
• McFee on Main

Health & Hygiene

• The Soap Opera
• Isaac’s Soaps and Antiques
• Community Pharmacy (zero-waste) 
• Green Life Trading Co. (zero-waste)

Pets

• MadCat Pet Supplies
• Goochi Poochi
• EarthWise Pet Supply & Grooming 
• Mounds Pet Food Warehouse

Kids

• Tradition Children’s Market
• Satara Home & Baby (eco-friendly!) 
• I’m Board! Games & Family Fun

For the Garden

• Madison Greenhouse Store
• Wildewood
• Two Ferns Native Nursery 
• Jungseed Garden Center
• Felly’s Flowers and Garden Center
• The Bruce Company

Shop Locally Online! 

• ReKindled Co 
• Girl Wonderful 
• Campo 
• Parabo Press 
• Jangle SOAPworks 
• Green Life Trading Co. (zero-waste)

Starting to get excited? Here are some communities to join:

Zero Waste Madison

Dane Buy Local

Both of these organizations are dedicated to shopping quality and shopping locally. It’s a fun way to bounce ideas off other community members. It’s a great way to meet people, stay informed about any new shops, and learn about sales and discounts.

Did you know the Hub used to be a local clothier?

That’s right! The Hub is a multi-generational family business. But we weren’t always in real estate. The Hub was a fine men’s clothier located in the heart of Capitol Square. It served the Madison community for nearly a century, closing its doors in 1990. But the family’s entrepreneurial spirit lived on… we just took our business to a new market. We love to shop locally because we know it takes heart to run a small business. You just don’t see that kind of thing in big box stores.
What are your favorite places to shop locally? Did we miss anything on this list? Let us know and we’ll add it!