When it comes to shopping, some people are of the mind that bigger is better - superstores, parking lots that go on for miles, buying in bulk as if serving a small army…
I prefer a more intimate shopping setting. As long as a place has the things I'm looking for, I don't need or want it to require running shoes to span the distance from one side to the other.
Ethique Nouveau in Minneapolis is just such a store - intimate, inviting, and packed with treats for its diminutive size.
Everything in the boutique is vegan with nothing that has been tested on animals. Plus, all purchases help fund animal advocacy programs.
They have body washes, candles, accessories, books, shirts, shoes, art, and some vegan specialty food products.
I was very tempted to pick up a new purse by Shiraleah and one of the colorful and cozy infinity scarves on display. (I especially love the ones in teal and purple.) However, with Christmas only a few weeks away, I restrained myself.
I did purchase a small canvas print for myself, though.
As I was checking out, the owner invited me to their Thanksgiving meet-up the following week. We were headed out of town that day. But it always makes me pleased to know about places with an active and welcoming vegan community.
If you are in the Minneapolis area, think about visiting Ethique Nouveau. They have lots of free street parking and are open Wednesday-Saturday.
Caitlin Galer-Unti (@caitlingu)
That shop looks very cute! I didn’t realise Minneapolis had a vegan shop. I love checking out vegan shops when I travel – recently I’ve been noticing more and more places have vegan clothes and shoes shops, it’s so cool! (I was recently in Vienna and they had a vegan supermarket, vegan clothes shop *and* vegan ice cream parlour!)
Cadry
Yes, I read about that shop in Vienna on your blog. It looked so cool! Lucky Vienna! I hope the trend continues of more and more compassionate businesses opening. Whenever I travel, they’re places that I seek out for sure.
flickingthevs
I really wish there were more shops like this – considering how big London is, there are hardly any I can think of. Props to Minneapolis and love the pig pic!
Cadry
I hope that more will continue to pop up! It’s so convenient to be able to go into a shop where a vegan can feel comfortable buying anything there. Plus, something that I liked about Ethique Nouveau is that they had a nice variety of things. It was a small space that offered a lot.
Rika
I love small intimate shops, and I hate running across the mall looking for something worthless. The painting looked gorgeous – beautiful! I would love to check Ethique Nouveau out, nice to know that they’ve free street parking 😉
Cadry
Yes, now you can check one concern off of your list! Parking won’t be an issue. 😉
Randi (laughfrodisiac)
Oh my goodness I LOVE that picture of the cow! There are a few art stalls in Spitalfields market, in London, and every day on the way home I’d see this painting of a pink cow, and it was the best thing ever. I wonder if I could still find it.
Cadry
I hope you find it! It sounds very sweet.
luminousvegans
This shop is adorable! I totally agree with you about shopping at smaller stores. I don’t like shopping as it is and can feel completely overwhelmed in big stores. Plus it’s always nice to support 100% vegan “mom and pop” places versus the big name corporations.
Cadry
Absolutely! It feels great to support businesses that share my values. It feels like a win twice over. First, I get to buy some great merchandise. Second, I get to help a business that is doing good things for animals to stay in business.
acookinthemaking
It looks like a wonderful place–I can just imagine the peaceful feeling I would get while shopping there. I wish there were more stores like it!
I can empathize with you on seeing animals in fields whose fate you know. On my way home from work every day I drive by a field of cows. I always wave to them (I’m a nerd) but seeing them also makes me sad. Granted, these cows are at least outdoors and not crammed into a cramped, dirty space, but that doesn’t really mean much when their lives inevitably come to an end 🙁
luminousvegans
I absolutely love that you wave to the cows! I am known to do this kind of thing too.
Cadry
I wish there were more stores like it too! It would be awesome to have a place in my town where I could easily shop, knowing that everything there is vegan and cruelty free. Plus, they have a really good selection of things.
Yes, non-vegans I know are sometimes surprised that I like to visit animal sanctuaries so much, considering that I spend my life driving by animals on farms. However, I can’t look at those animals without feeling a strong sense of dread, especially when I see cows out with their calves in the spring. I know that the calves in fields are being raised for beef. (Dairy cows are generally kept inside and have their calves taken from them.) And the knowledge that these animals were only impregnated, so that someone could kill their offspring just breaks my heart. I can’t help but see them and think of the inevitable day when their babies will be taken from them to be killed.