‘Tis the season to discover the best places to shop for great gifts in Campbell River. Many creative entrepreneurs and artists call Campbell River home, so it’s a fantastic place to pick up thoughtfully curated and handmade wares inspired by our West Coast setting.
Campbell River offers a rich mix of independent shops, galleries, and Indigenous-owned businesses where visitors can find locally made, West Coast–inspired gifts ranging from pottery and skincare to books and apparel. With creative makers and diverse boutiques throughout the city, it’s an ideal destination for discovering thoughtful, one-of-a-kind presents.
Gifts That Say “From Vancouver Island, With Love”
West Coast-inspired skincare and perfume, coastal-themed ceramics, and Vancouver Island-themed home wares and accessories are thoughtfully brought together in several Campbell River stores.
Mussels & More delivers its own range of quirky and colourful nautical pottery to brighten any table, along with a selection of diverse island and Canadian woodworkers, glassworks, skincare, silversmiths, photographers, resin artists, and more.
Bough & Antler is a self-delcared “Northwest Goods” stockist, focused on Canadian-made goods, whether from the Island or further across the country. You’ll find stickers, greeting cards, and accessories adorned with Pacific Northwest flora and fauna and jewellery, pottery, and their own apparel line decorated with details reminiscent of Vancouver Island.
Stonehouse Teas is well-known for their expertly combined loose leaf tea blends, but they also stock a diverse array of mugs, festive gift baskets featuring other local businesses, and other West Coast-inspired culinary and home creations.
Round the corner, Coho Books is the place to get novels by local authors, books that showcase the minutiae and rich storytelling history of the BC Coast, and guidebooks and maps covering Vancouver Island. You can also pick up journals, greeting cards, and other stationery.
Gifts for Art and Craft Aficionados
The Crow’s Nest Artist Collective is a hotspot for discovering arts from Campbell River and its neighbouring communities. Their workshops are another fantastic gift idea to enjoy during a future visit. There’s also a new glassware shop at the marina, where visiting the cozy, floating gallery space is a quintessentially Campbell River experience all in itself! The Sea Glass Gallery is where the animalistic creations of local glassblower Gibson James can be purchased. The gallery also stocks other vibrant and unique creations from local artists.
The Tin Can Pottery Shop at The Rail Yard Market is home to the nature-inspired ceramics of Emma Heitzmann. Heitzmann has also gathered an array of beautiful wool textiles, fibre supplies, jewellery, paintings, photography, and more; all from Island artisans. Examples of the region’s artistic flair can also be found in gift shops like the one in the Campbell River Art Gallery or at The Shop at the Museum.
Seek Out Indigenous-Owned Businesses
Several women-owned stores put Indigenous-owned businesses at the heart of your holiday gift shopping. West Coast Wildflowers stocks Canadian-made products, with a tailored Authentic Indigenous collection across wellness, home, jewellery, apparel, and more. Just in time for the holidays, owner Alisa Assu has also opened Little Wildflowers—a space to find intentional gifts, apparel, and sensory toys, and gather for community workshops.
RavenSong Soap and Candle in Willow Point makes all kinds of soaps, candles, bath bombs and soaks, to delight the senses. Take your time perusing the store to discover scents reminiscent of our temperate rainforest and rugged coastline. The space is also home to Bear Essential Oils.
Standing Spruce Farm & Apothecary showcases wild-harvested wellness, Haida and We Wai Kai heritage, and sustainable growing and gathering practices. Their range of candles, bathing products, hydrosols, soaps, and pregnancy-specific care products are created from ingredients wild-sourced or grown on the Standing Spruce Farm. They also stock their own skincare line—Xaayda—and a collection of expertly crafted Indigenous plant medicines that celebrate traditional wellness practices.
Modern and Vintage Apparel for Every Style
In addition to locally-designed and printed apparel at Bough & Antler, there are several stores dotted across Campbell River dedicated to apparel, vintage, and consignment.
For the best coastal-themed and Campbell River-specific apparel, head to Westcoastees or The Mossy Coast (located in the Rail Yard Market). For lifestyle apparel that nods to activities like snowboarding, surfing, and skateboarding, Boardwalk Boardshop won’t disappoint.
Quality menswear is waiting to be uncovered at Jim’s Clothes Closet, while something for the avid outdoorsman is likely to be found at River Sportsman. Vintage, thrift, and consignment stores exist across the city, from Revival Vintage and Classy Katz Consignment to New-2-U Consignment, Sophie’s Boutique New & Consignment, and more.
No matter who you’re hoping to give a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gift to this holiday season and beyond, we have a feeling you’ll find the perfect piece in Campbell River’s independent stores, galleries, and maker studios. Don’t forget to refuel as you wander between stores at one of our tasty, cozy eateries.
