Holiday Shopping? Shop Small.

Published on December 2, 2025 | Webster Bank

Ready to make a big impact this holiday season? It starts by shopping small.

By supporting local small businesses this holiday season, you can find unique gifts and services while creating opportunities for local businesses in the neighborhoods where we live and work.

Webster Bank understands the importance of economic development and our Inclusive Vendor Engagement Program was created to champion small, local, and diverse suppliers in our communities.

Whether you’re purchasing gifts for friends and family, or for business clients, Webster is highlighting these small businesses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island to make your holiday shopping easier this season and beyond.

• PURE by Shasha was born from the love between a mother and child right in her family kitchen, where she doubles as a homeschooling teacher. Sensitive enough for little ones, PURE products are created with organic, cruelty-free ingredients, and never tested on animals. Shasha offers crystal-infused aromatherapy products designed to soothe the skin, calm the mind, uplift the spirit and bring bliss to your wellness routine.

New for this upcoming holiday season: Curated gift sets available in Norwalk, Connecticut’s SONO Collection store and online range from minis priced at $22 (perfect when you just need a little token of appreciation) to $222 (for when you want to gift one of everything!) and price points in between. Visit www.PureByShasha.com to start gifting.

• Biens Chocolate Centerpieces led by Geraldine Keogh and Lindsay Smith is a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council-certified business creating bespoke chocolates that reflect a commitment to quality, creativity and the power of a thoughtful gift. You’re not just choosing a gift; you’re selecting a piece of art, a moment of delight and a pledge to sustainability and social responsibility.

New for this holiday season: Meet & Treat is a new line made with sustainable sugarcane and custom gift options include chocolate covered pretzel bits, chocolate cake truffles and chocolate bark and prices range from $19.95 to $24.95. Biens offers private labeling, thoughtful packaging and custom holiday messages and nationwide delivery to thank everyone on your list. To learn more, visit www.BiensCC.com.

• New England Promotional Marketing is a Wilbraham, Massachusetts-based women-owned business that provides promotional products like apparel, desk accessories, bags and thoughtful gifts that are the perfect way to build your brand, whether you’re rebranding, planning an event or simply launching a marketing campaign. Launched in 1989 by Kathy Selvia, the company is now run by her daughter Amy Selvia Smith. They are experts at corporate gifts for year-end giving.

New for the holidays: A new, improved website is on its way, with an updated platform that makes it easy to explore what’s new and trending, and shop over one million items to find something creative for even the hardest to impress.

• Spectrum Designs creates custom apparel and promotional products and meaningful employment for adults on the autism spectrum. What started in a backyard barn in Port Washington, NY, has grown into a nationally recognized model for inclusion in the workplace and now employs more than 80 people, nearly 70% of whom are on the autism spectrum. Spectrum Designs has been at the forefront of changing the narrative about the capabilities of autistic and neurodiverse individuals — proving that inclusivity and innovation go hand-in-hand, and that “the best things can be done” when diverse talents are embraced.

This holiday season, shoppers can visit Spectrum’s online store for gifts that give back—unique apparel and accessories designed and produced entirely in-house by Spectrum’s neurodiverse team, each carrying a message of acceptance, positivity, and purpose. All proceeds benefit Spectrum Designs Foundation and its mission of hiring and retaining an inclusive and integrated workforce. Click here for more.

• Boston-based Choc-Allure creates Chocolate Jewels™, miniature, multi-layered French pâtisserie-inspired confections, where every element, from ethically sourced ingredients to precise flavor layering, reflects the same meticulous attention to detail hosts bring to every holiday.

For the winter holidays, a limited-edition Advent Calendar, featuring 24 days of hand-crafted Chocolate Jewels™, plus whimsical treats like milk and cookies snowmen, hot chocolate and marshmallow penguins, and caramel-crunch gingerbread men, alongside a hot chocolate kit with handmade vanilla bean marshmallows and salted caramel. Go to www.choc-allure.com for more.

This holiday season, make an impact by supporting local businesses. Your purchases can help strengthen our communities and bring originality to every gift. Small choices can lead to meaningful change, all year long.