Holiday Gifts for Remote Teams - 2020 Canadian Small Business Edition
This holiday season looks different in many ways, including how we plan to celebrate with our work colleagues. Many employers are forgoing a traditional holiday office party and getting creative in a virtual format instead.
While the office may be sharing ugly Christmas sweaters and festive cocktails via Zoom this year, you can spread some holiday cheer by sending thoughtful gifts for coworkers that show how much you appreciate them while also supporting local Canadian businesses.
The pandemic has been especially tough on small business so this holiday season, consider these awesome office gift ideas from some incredible Canadian retailers across the country.
Pampering with Purpose: Sḵálwen Botanicals
Give the gift of restorative self-care this holiday season with a selection of handcrafted botanical skincare and bath products from Sḵálwen Botanicals.
Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, Sḵálwen Botanicals harness the power of plant medicine and Indigenous science to create natural skincare products. The popular Self Care Bundle includes their bestselling Kalkáy Wild Rose Facial Oil, Mimtsᛌ Calming Room Spray and Nekwentsut Rose+Nettle+Mint Tea.
Local pickup is available in Squamish and online orders of $100+ ship free within Canada.
Gourmet Grazing: The Prairie Grazer
These aren’t your run-of-the-mill goody baskets! Featuring an incredible variety of local products from Saskatoon and surrounding area, The Prairie Grazer artisan charcuterie and snack boxes are truly a feast for the eyes and the belly!
A range of box sizes are available depending on the number of grazers and include an assortment of cheese, meat, crackers, fresh bread, dips, mustards, and honey, as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables. Deluxe add-ons include macarons or other sweet treats including some fantastic collabs with other local producers and vendors.
Want a box that’s completely out-of-the-box creative? Specialty theme box options include Brunch Boxes, Candy Boxes, and Movie Night Boxes, or anything you have in mind!
Local pickup is available in Saskatoon with all inquiries and orders currently placed by email or direct message on Instagram.
Holiday Happy Hour at Home: Proof YYC
To kick things up a notch at your work-from-home virtual happy hour or remote holiday party, bring the bar to your guests’ homes with a pre-assembled cocktail box.
Local cocktail bars, distillers, and breweries across Canada are finding creative ways to bring their mixology magic and smooth sips to the people. Proof cocktail bar in Calgary sells all-inclusive cocktail boxes featuring some of their most popular concoctions like Fire in the Pharmacy: a blend of Sombra mezcal, honey and ginger lemon cordial and peaty scotch.
Local pickup is available in Calgary.
Spark the Season: Candles from Lohn
Lohn is a Toronto-based, female-founded company that handcrafts organic coconut and soy wax blend candles using luxurious essential oils and botanical fragrances.
Poured in elegant ceramic or glass vessels with a variety of scent profiles to choose from, these aren’t your basic Christmas candles and they make a great Secret Santa gift for a coworker.
The hardest part will be choosing from their impressive collections. Top picks include:
Jal — Base notes of amber and vanilla meet top notes of clove and saffron for a sophisticated spice-meets-nice vibe.
Nord — Touted as “the great outdoors in a candle” this scent combines balsam fir, cedar leaf, and fennel reminiscent of an alpine retreat on a bracing winter’s day.
Online orders ship anywhere in North America, with same day delivery available in the GTA.
Curated Artisan Collection: Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique
Make the office gift exchange extra special this year with one-of-a-kind products made by artisans from Atlantic Canada. Made in the Maritimes is an absolute trove of artisan treasures ranging from prints and books to canned goods and ceramics.
Our favourites include the Hygge Holiday Hook Line and Tinker embroidery kits — perfect for long, socially-distanced winter evenings — and the Dockside Medium Dark Roast Coffee which will keep the team energized at the home office and beyond.
Local pickup is available in Halifax and online orders of $60+ ship free within Canada.
Get Growing with Greenery: Vertuose
With so much of our time spent indoors right now, particularly as the mercury drops, it’s nice to inject a bit of the outdoors inside. Plants are a wonderful addition to interiors as they add colour and help improve indoor air quality. Plants also make a unique gift for work colleagues and friends!
Chic plant shop Vertuose in Montreal makes plant giving easy with a great online shop featuring a variety of plants and arrangements. Want to give a green gift that keeps on giving? Give your team a green subscription for three, six, or 12 months and they’ll receive an easy to care for plant each month in a terracotta pot with saucer and care card.
Local pickup is available in Montreal and delivery is available to addresses located within the island of Montreal (north or south shore).
While your corporate holiday plans will look very different this year, it’s still important to connect with your team and show appreciation for all that they’ve done to help succeed (survive?) in 2020. And it’s also a great opportunity to support local business across Canada!