Everyone shops.
Sure, some of us do it more than others. My personal shopping leans toward bookstores, grocery stores, and that’s about it. For my girlfriend, it’s plant shops (hey, there’s a category idea!) and pet stores. For many people, heading to the local antique shop or thrift store qualifies as retail therapy.
Whatever your bag is, West Michigan has plenty of options, and voters have some clear favorites, with many of this year’s finalists appearing in previous years. A few of the winners have remained the same as well: Fido and Stitch won best Pet Store once again, Bill & Paul’s remains the favorite Hiking and Outdoor Gear spot, and Rebel is still the most popular Gift Shop.
We’ve also seen some changes this year, however! For instance, last year’s antiques winner, Eastown Antiques, sadly closed its doors. And Meijer won best grocery store in 2021, but readers are now clearly leaning toward the smaller, more locally focused shops like Kingma’s and Bridge Street Market. On the flipside, Fresh Thyme edged ahead of Harvest Health Foods for health food stores this year.
Some things change, and some things stay the same, but everyone shops!
ANTIQUE SHOP
Lost and Found Treasures of Old and New, 1st
facebook.com/lostandfoundtreasuresofoldandnew
Century Antiques, 2nd
Elevated, 3rd
ATHLETIC GOODS
Gazelle Sports, 1st
gazellesports.com
Bill and Paul’s Sportshaus, 2nd
Striders, 3rd
BEER/WINE/LIQUOR STORE
Martha’s Vineyard, 1st
mvwines.com
Rishi’s International Beverage, 2nd
Smitty’s, 3rd
BICYCLE SHOP
Freewheeler Bike Shop, 1st
freewheelerbikeshop.com
Rockford Bike Shop, 2nd
Switchback Gear Exchange, 3rd
BOOK STORE
Schuler Books, 1st
schulerbooks.com
Books & Mortar, 2nd
Epilogue Books, 3rd
BRIDAL BOUTIQUE
Renee Austin Wedding, 1st
reneeaustinwedding.com
Second Dance Bridal, 2nd
Bridal Elegance, 3rd
BUTCHER
Sobie Meats, 1st
sobiemeats.com
Bob’s Butcher Block, 2nd
Louise Earl, 3rd
COMIC BOOK STORE
Vault of Midnight, 1st
vaultofmidnight.com
The Comic Signal, 2nd
Tardy’s Collectors Corner, 3rd
FLORIST
Eastern Floral, 1st
easternfloral.com
Stem’s Market, 2nd
Mitten Floral, 3rd
GIFT SHOP
Rebel, 1st
rebelgr.com
Delight in Designs, 2nd
The 12th House, 3rd
GROCERY STORE
Bridge Street Market, 1st
bridgestreetmarket.com
Kingma’s, 2nd
Meijer, 3rd
HEALTH FOOD STORE
Fresh Thyme, 1st
freshthyme.com
Harvest Health Foods, 2nd
Health Hutt, 3rd
HIKING/OUTDOOR GEAR
Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus, 1st
billandpauls.com
Woosah, 2nd
Switchback Gear Exchange, 3rd
MEN’S CLOTHING
Fitzgerald’s, 1st
fitzs.com
A.K. Rikk’s, 2nd
New Yorker Menswear, 3rd
PET STORE
Fido & Stitch, 1st
fidoandstitch.com
VI Pets, 2nd
Dottie’s Dog Bowl, 3rd
SHOPPING DISTRICT
Eastown, 1st
Downtown Holland, 2nd
Downtown Rockford, 3rd
THRIFT/CONSIGNMENT
New 2 You, 1st
new2youshop.org
Rock Paper Scissors Consignment, 2nd
Elevated, 3rd
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
Lee & Birch, 1st
leeandbirch.com
Basic Bee Boutique, 2nd
Leigh’s, 3rd