Shopping local is more important now than ever and Salem’s small businesses are excited to welcome residents back downtown. Join the businesses in taking the Salem Together pledge, grab your mask, and head out to explore:
Food/Groceries
The Cheese Shop of Salem is our downtown destination for artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, and other gourmet snacks plus craft beer, wine and cider. They also offer custom cheese platters perfect for the holidays, and cheese and wine clubs (for curbside pickup and delivery) so you can discover new items each month!
On Essex Street, Pamplemousse is Salem’s European-inspired boutique offering fine wines and craft beer in addition to kitchen gadgets, gourmet foods, and gifts. They have specialty gift baskets available and are on top of including new seasonal flavors and gifts making Pamplemousse a perfect place to pick something up to celebrate the season or shop for the holidays.
Sweets & Treats
Salem has quite the chocolate scene with locally made favorites like sweet sloops and seasonal treats like milk chocolate Santas and Easter Bunnies at Harbor Sweets on Leavitt Street, and fudge, turtles, Gibralters, Blackjacks, and more at Ye Olde Pepper Companie on Derby Street.
For artisan chocolates and historic drinking elixirs, Kakawa Chocolate House on Essex Street is not to be missed, and a short walk away in Derby Square you’ll find Maria’s Sweet Somethings, which stocks a variety of chocolates and candies plus unique gifts and ice cream.
Jolie Tea Company has moved to a new location on Derby Street, offering an expanded space for serving high tea and more ways to browse their collection of over 300 loose leaf teas available to sip or purchase. For something to snack on with your tea, head to Popped! Gourmet Popcorn on Pickering Wharf. The store has over 100 flavors of popcorn that change seasonally from loaded baked potato to sea salt caramel and everything in between.
Home/Décor
Struggling with an empty space that needs just the right piece to complete the room? Hive & Forge on Church Street may have just the thing where their store is comprised of the work of more than 30 local artists and makers. For nautical décor, add a made-in-Salem print by Joe’s Fresh Fish Prints to tie a room together, or head over to Moody’s Home & Gifts in their new location on Essex Street across from the Hawthorne Hotel to find locally made art and fair trade goods from around the world.
Continue down Essex Street, and you’ll pass Tibet Arts & Healing, which offers unique gifts and meditational needs like singing bowls and inspirational scrolls. On the other side of the Essex Street near the Witch House, stop in to Witch City Wicks and pick up a locally made soy candle or browse their collection of curated bath products, greeting cards, jewelry, and more. Across the street from Witch City Wicks, sits Witch City Consignment with vintage collectibles, antiques, and oddities with new arrivals daily.
A walk up Washington Street will bring you to The Record Exchange, a Salem institution since 1974 filled with new and used collectible records, CDs, DVDs, BluRays and more. And nearby on Lafayette Street, Witch Dr. offers one of the widest selections of handcrafted glass in New England with live glass blowing on-site.
For literature lovers, Salem’s independent bookstore, Wicked Good Books, offers a local alternative to Amazon with new and used books, plus works by local authors, toys, games, and more. Pyramid Books is a one stop shop for books on all things metaphysical, and nearby The Marble Faun Books & Gifts offers literary themed gifts and accessories for every reader.
Stay on Pickering Wharf to pick up some new Christmas ornaments, with a wide selection at Merry & Bright, with different themed ornaments plus designer stockings, tree skirts, accessories and more. Around the corner from Merry & Bright, you’ll find Partridge in a Bear Tree filled with décor for every season, with Halloween and Christmas ornaments, nautical gifts, and Salem souvenirs.
Clothing & Accessories
Salem’s clothing stores and boutiques have something for everyone! On Pickering Wharf, Die With Your Boots On, Salem’s own goth shop, has unique clothing, shoes, patches, pins, and even art made by locals. Also along the wharf, Style Snoop features nautical inspired ladies’ fashion and accessories plus a Facebook group to help you find the best deals. On Front Street, J.Mode is a contemporary boutique with styles by brands like Nicole Miller, Three Dots, Bailey 44 and more, while a short walk away on Central Street Modern Millie specializes in vintage inspired clothing with consignment pieces and new designers.
Right across from Modern Millie you’ll find another vintage-style boutique, Emporium 32. The store offers handmade jewelry, fine hats and accessories, plus original artwork, beard and mustache care, and more. For fine jewelry, RJ Coins & Jewelry has gold, platinum and sterling styles along with unique scrimshaw gifts and rare coins.
For Pets
New England Dog Biscuit Company is New England’s only micro-barkery, making fresh dog treats daily in house and stocking a store for everything a dog or cat parent could need with food, supplies, toys, and apparel.
You might know Coon’s Card & Gift Shop for their collection of Salem tees and hoodies, but did you know they’re also home to Penelope’s Pet Boutique? Head inside and you’ll find pet accessories from leashes to Halloween costumes and everything in between.
Witch & Occult
Artemisia Botanicals is a local destination for all your apothecary needs, with over 400 herbs and 100 teas along with essential oils and soap made in-house. Once you have your herbs and tea, head over to HausWitch to shop home goods by independent makers, sage sprays (perfect for apartments that don’t allow candles or flames), local art, and more.
For crystals, candles, potions, tarot cards and more, Salem has no shortage of witch shops throughout downtown including The Cauldron Black and Enchanted on Pickering Wharf and Coven’s Cottage, Hex, and Crow Haven Corner on Essex Street.
And to shop somewhere uniquely Salem, New England’s only vampire shop, Vampfangs has high quality apparel, gifts, and occult items in addition to custom fitted fangs, while The Witchery has been a favorite for crafters with their handmade broom-crafting kits.
Salem Gifts & Souvenirs
Shopping for out of town family? The House of the Seven Gables, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Witch Museum, and Witch History Museum stores all have just the thing to help you remember your visit to these attractions. Salemdipity and Trolley Depot have books, jewelry, and Salem-inspired gifts and Witch Tees is a one stop shop for tees and hoodies for every member of the family. Don’t forget about Waite and Peirce, this Derby Street shop is home to gifts inspired by Salem’s maritime past.
Salem Residents can also save at the following businesses:
- Hex: Old World Witchery – 15% off for residents
- The House of the Seven Gables – Free admission for residents, (gardens only for 2020).
- Longboards – Daily deals for Salem residents starting mid-November, follow them on Facebook for updates.
- Omen: Psychic Parlor & Witchcraft Emporium – 15% off for residents.
- Peabody Essex Museum – Free admission for residents.
- Pioneer Village – Free admission for residents, (closed for the season; reopens spring 2021).
- Salem Trolley – Free trolley rides for residents during September.
- Salem Witch Museum – Free admission for residents.
- Witch Dr. – Present 2020 Salem Guide to save 30%
- Witch House – Free admission for residents, (see website for winter hours).
Tags: Art, Family, Shop, The Modern Witch, Things To Do
