Our Golden Anchor Awards are dedicated to the best of the best of all things local; we love hearing what you think are the best local charities, restaurants, doctors, and shops. We also ask our readers who is the “Biggest local shopaholic” to see who the best is at supporting local businesses. This year you voted for Elizabeth Arentz- a local real estate agent and, apparently, a shopaholic! One of our readers who nominated her said that “She is always talking others into buying Local instead of online. It is so convenient to just go online and click. But, as she says, “Where we shop makes a big difference in our community!” We talked to her to learn about what her favorite shops are, why shopping local is important and more!
Why is shopping local important?
Shopping local means that you’re supporting businesses owned and operated by members of our community. When the people in a community thrive, so does the community itself. I love where I live so I do my best to focus on looking for things that I want or need at a local level before turning to places with less roots in our community. I’m getting married next year, and we are aiming to keep it “local” since we both grew up here. We’re getting married at the Chesapeake Beach Club and are just starting to find the rest of our vendors. My fiancé, Jake, and I are excited to support the business owners that we’ve either known for a long time or have had the pleasure of meeting recently!
Any local stores that stand out as favorites?
When I’m on the hunt for a gift, my first stop is to see Stacie at Half Full Gift Boutique. Many of my friends and family have received something from there; they have such great things to choose from! When I’m out looking for furniture or clothes, I enjoy visiting my favorite local thrift or consignment shops like Second Hand Rose, Compass Closet, and Our Daily Thread. I’m also a proud dog mom to Jinx and Beretta, and they come with me to the Grooming Place Pet Shop and Bev’s Grooming regularly to pick out their food or a treat. Every Thursday there’s a farmer’s market over by Cult Classic Brewery that I love to stop by and pick up fresh foods and try out their selection of local snacks, drinks, and sometimes even clothes!
Any stores that we don’t have locally that you would like to see?
I’m an avid athleisure and athletic clothing wearer whether I’m in the gym, on a run, or running errands. Sometimes even when I’m last-minute showing homes! I’d love to have a local place to purchase things like sneakers, athletic clothes, and things along those lines. Right now, I try to make it to some more “local” spots across the bridge or deeper into the Eastern Shore.
Anything specific you’ve bought locally that stands out?
A personalized sign for my clients that had their family name and the coordinates of their new home on a beautiful piece of wood that fit the coastal theme of their new house perfectly. I love working in real estate for a whole host of reasons, but one of the best feelings is seeing how excited clients are at the closing table and being able to provide them something cute, fun, and personalized from local shops as a “welcome to the neighborhood gift” when they’re buying a home, or as a dear reminder of their time here when selling! Our community has so many great places for things like this, and I feel like I’m discovering new shops on a regular basis!
You can see what Elizabeth is up to in real estate on her Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091480805358. Make sure to stop by Elizabeth’s favorite local businesses if you want to support local and aren’t worried about becoming a shopaholic yourself.