Give the gift of Toronto quality, design and coolness this holiday season.
Toronto is a one-of-a-kind city—not only when it comes to the people and attractions, but also regarding local shops and businesses. If you’re looking for unique holiday gifts that also reflect the city, these locally-made and Toronto-inspired goodies are sure to bring your loved ones cheer. From stocking stuffers to delicacies you can eat, browse an eclectic selection of gifts at different price points and for varied preferences.
Books & Stationery
Type Books
Toronto’s very own independent bookstore has three locations throughout the city, with products also sold online. Among beautiful Toronto-themed stationary, Type Books features both rare and mainstream literature with a focus on local authors. Currently, there are entire sections highlighting Canada’s Indigenous communities and Black Lives Matter.
Prices: $
Made in Brockton Village
If you’re on the hunt for that perfect holiday card, that’s also Toronto-themed, Made in Brockton Village is your spot. The shop’s owner Malika, who has a background in graphic design and a love of sustainable materials, creates the stationary herself. Among Toronto-inspired holiday cards, you’ll also find postcards, tote bags, prints and calendars.
Prices: $
Kid Icarus
Among some of the most unique stationery and hand-printed items you’ll find, Kid Icarus also sells locally-made, high-quality items. Smack in the middle of Kensington Market, the shop is filled with Canadian goods, most of which are from Toronto. They have an entire line of refreshingly creative greeting cards, gift wrapping and other hand-made items to elevate your holiday gifting.
Prices: $
Clothing & Accessories
Muttonhead Apparel
This holiday season, give your loved ones high-quality cozy-wear. Based in Toronto and locally-made, Muttonhead Apparel is specifically designed for Canadian living. With predominantly unisex pieces, Muttonhead sells chunky knits, toques, gloves, jackets, sweats, quilts and more. Basically, whatever you’d pack for a wintery cottage getaway.
Prices: $$-$$$
SixSox
You can never have too many socks, especially when they’re inspired by NASA. Actually. Created with Silver Yarn Technology, SixSox are breathable, high-quality and come in a variety of designs including Toronto-themed, retro, athletic, crew and more. They’re the perfect gift for that person in your life who loves socks and likely has a pair in every colour—yes, we exist.
Prices: $
The Orange Room’s Puffin Gear Shop
Made in Toronto, Puffin Gear’s hats and accessories are superior quality. Created with functional fabrics, this family-founded company sells practical clothing for both adults and children, including masks, hats, blankets and more.
Prices: $$
Peace Collective
An Ossington Avenue staple, Peace Collective is quintessential Toronto apparel. An internationally-recognized brand, Peace Collective introduced the world to iconic phrases like Toronto vs Everybody. The brand prides itself on well-designed clothing, representing the city throughout their pieces. Portions of Peace Collective’s profits are donated to Canadian food banks, mental health initiatives and vulnerable refugee populations.
Prices: $-$$
House of Ell
Beautifully upcycled jewelry is what you’ll find at House of Ell. Handmade in Toronto, the pieces are dramatic with a 70s vibe. House of Ell’s Katia Engell hunts for vintage pendants, beads and other repurposed materials for her collections, prioritizing sustainable fashion. Portions of the boutique’s sales go toward Black Lives Matter advocacy, LGBTQ organizations, women’s rights organizations and more.
Prices: $
Roncypacks
Since fanny packs are all the rage, we bet your stylish family members will love Roncypacks. Especially when they’re upcycled and handmade in Toronto—Roncesvalles to be more specific. This company crafts fanny packs in different sizes for different needs in a variety of materials and colours. Materials used include vegan leather, knit, puffer and more.
Prices: $-$$
Hoi Bo
Hoi Bo sells simple, classic and well-made apparel. Created in Toronto, the company prides itself on beautifully designed and functional women’s clothing. All pieces are hand-stitched to perfection.
Prices: $$$
Four Seasons At Home
Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel recently released a line of luxurious bathrobes. Since travel has taken a back seat this year, gift your loved ones nostalgic hotel comfort in the meantime. Shop a wide range of robes for all ages, including other lush goodies like luxury candles, towels, bedding and more.
Prices: $$-$$$
Sweet & Savoury
Toronto Honeys
Shawn Caza and Melissa Berney share a passion for local food, environmental sustainability and of course, bees. They tend to thousands of bees of their own and in perfecting the art of beekeeping, they also create their own line of honey and all-natural lip balms. Toronto Honeys comes in both a small-batch harvest from different seasons or raw and unfiltered.
Prices: $
Soma
Toronto’s celebrated chocolate shop crafts delicious chocolate onsite and by hand. Soma also makes its own gelato and cookies. Too bad you can’t gift gelato, right? With two stores located in downtown Toronto, Soma also sells their goodies online with an entire section dedicated to the holiday season. Holiday-themed gift packages include advent calendars, chocolate and truffle boxes, chocolate bars and birch branches.
Prices: $-$$
St. Lawrence Market
The history of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market goes all the way back to the turn of the 19th century. It’s renowned for its selection of locally-sourced produce, meats and other edible delights such as local favourite, Kozlik’s mustard. The market also features handmade crafts and novelties from home-grown vendors.
Prices: $
Also read: The Must-Eats of Toronto’s Historic St. Lawrence Market
Beauty & Cosmetics
Consonant Skin + Care
Consonant Skin + Care is so confident in the effectiveness of their products that they offer lifetime guarantees. The award-winning, Toronto beauty brand creates natural skin products for acne, ageing, dark spots, dry skin and more. They also have a section of gift ideas highlighting best selling treatments, face masks and kits, among other things.
Prices: $-$$
The Abnormal Beauty Company
DECIEM, aka the Abnormal Beauty Company, was founded in Toronto on the principle of providing high-quality skincare at an affordable price. It began in 2013 and now operates more than ten beauty brands. Made with natural ingredients, products include skincare, makeup, body and hair products.
Prices: $-$$
Bite Beauty
As far as customized gifts go, Bite Beauty takes the cake. This Toronto brand of all-natural lipsticks creates personalized lip shades based on skin tone and personality. How does it work? Colour experts work with you at the Lip Lab on Queen West. The best part? You get to name your custom lipstick shade. Bite Beauty also sells themed lipstick kits with a variety of colours, if you don’t want to gift just one.
Prices: $
Health & Wellness
LoveFresh
Made in Toronto, LoveFresh delivers luxurious natural beauty products. Healthy for the body, all recipes are non-toxic and made with high-quality ingredients sourced both locally and internationally. Products include deodorants (a best-seller), creams, scrubs, shampoos, conditioners, candles, baby products and even gift bundles.
Prices: $-$$
Matter Company
A refreshingly holistic approach to self-care, Matter creates adult and baby products with ingredients derived from nature. Tapping into the healing properties of plants, Matter works with the medicinal potency of herbs to create body and face products, including teas. The Toronto company also conveniently sells gift bundles and kits.
Prices: $
Province Apothecary
Julia Clark, the creator of Province Apothecary, struggled with skin sensitivity her whole life and decided to take matters into her own hands. She began blending natural and organic products in her kitchen, thus beginning her journey into holistic wellness. Made with natural oils, waxes and herbs, Province Apothecary sells health-conscious cleansers, moisturizers, facials, incense and more.
Prices: $-$$
Decor & Appliances
Cocktail Emporium
Toronto’s beloved cocktail mecca adds glamour to any home, or more specifically any bar. Cocktail Emporium is a colourful, vintage-inspired dream filled with high-quality bar tools, niche home decor, retro glassware, local bitters, funky cocktail accessories and more. They also sell gift sets.
Prices: $-$$
Stainsby Studios
Gift your loved ones gorgeous pottery, handmade in Toronto. Created in small batches by Eleanor Stainsby, all pieces are lovingly crafted and painted by hand. Products include bowls, planters, platters and more, in a variety of colours. There’s even a collection inspired by David Bowie.
Prices: $-$$$
Fuse Neon
Brighten someone’s holiday season by gifting them their very own neon sign. Fuse Neon, a Toronto-based light studio, sells already-made designs or you can customize your own. Signature signs include the CN Tower, the Toronto skyline and rapper Drake’s prayer hands. Fuse Neon’s LED-based signs are carefully built to resemble authentic neon signs. You wouldn’t know the difference.
Prices: $$$
Bergo Designs
One of the most innovative stores in one of Toronto’s most unique neighbourhoods, Bergo Designs in the Distillery Historic District is known for its European-inspired designer housewares and home decor. Explore shiny contraptions that artfully combine functionality with creativity—including contemporary kitchenware, moving alarm clocks and flower vases that look like they stepped out of a Dalí painting.
Prices: $-$$
Miscellaneous
Spacing Store
The first retail offshoot of Toronto’s Spacing magazine, the Spacing Store is nearby Queen West in the fittingly creative shared space of the 401 Richmond building with its industrial bones, wooden ceiling and exposed beams. Toronto-themed merchandise includes cards, ornaments, games, and decor—like peameal bacon-scented candles—among other creative goodies.
Prices: $-$$
Bag of Toronto
Until December 12th, order a custom bag that embodies one of five participating Toronto neighbourhoods. Each bag is filled with 5 to 7 specialty foods and products unique to your chosen neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods of choice are Bloordale, Ossington, Queen West, Bloorcourt and College Promenade. Participating local businesses include beauty salons and shops, cafes, florists, bars, restaurants and clothing stores.
Prices: $$-$$$
Drake General Store
This one-of-a-kind shop is chock-full of trendy Canadiana with everything from toques, to engraved flasks, to traditional maple syrup, to iconic Hudson’s Bay blankets. Access the Drake General’s goods online or shop at any of two locations: in The Hudson’s Bay store or across the street from the Drake Hotel on Queen West.
Prices: $-$$
Blue Banana Market
Blue Banana Market is as hip and eccentric as you would expect from a store located in Kensington Market. With two levels overflowing with posters, games, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments and various odds and ends, it’s impossible not to find something here to put under the tree. There aren’t many other stores in Toronto where you can buy a designer dress, a bongo drum and a jar of gourmet hot sauce under the same roof.
Prices: $
AGO Gift Shop
The Frank-Gehry designed gift shop at the Art Gallery of Ontario is arguably as impressive as the museum that houses it. From personal accessories to stylish home decor, to Group of Seven prints, this shop contains everything for the fashionable art lover. Check out their holiday gift guide for further inspiration.
Prices: $-$$
Also read: 16 Cool Facts About Toronto’s Iconic Attractions
Gardiner Museum Shop
Creativity is a gift worth giving this holiday season and the Gardiner Museum Shop features some incredibly unique pieces. Explore local artists and their gorgeous handmade works including ceramics, jewellery, accessories and even wood-based decor. Shop online or at the shop itself, by appointment only.
Prices: $-$$$
One Of A Kind Show
The One Of A Kind Show, or OOAK, is back just in time for the holiday season. Although the semi-annual event is completely virtual this year, you can still click through 700 Canadian vendors and get all of your holiday shopping done in one place. OOAK features a variety of Toronto artisans, some of which we already mentioned above. You’ll find everything from home decor to delicious treats to gorgeous jewelry. Shop by category or by brand, now until December 20th.
Prices: $-$$$
Also read: The Best of Holiday Shopping in Toronto
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