Local businesses we love this Christmas
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Discover the local businesses, makers, and creators making Christmas special across our city.
We hate to alarm you, but Christmas is just six weeks away. So that means it’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping – and luckily, you’ll find some beautiful local businesses right here.
This year, we invite you to explore Canberra’s neighbourhoods to discover amazing local businesses right in our own backyard (or worth the trip across town!).
Let’s kick things off with our Regional and Online edition – here are some local businesses we love, and we think you will too!
North/South
Andrew Ly and Jennaya Montgomery were tired of the eye-rolls and dismissive comments people made when they mentioned moving to Canberra. So they did what any self-respecting creative would do – they came up with a slogan that bites back. And so, North/South was born, making cheeky Canberra-themed gifts that locals didn’t even know they needed.
The duo designs and prints most of their products right here in Canberra, giving each piece that authentic local touch. Their mugs have become a go-to for gift-giving, while their magnets have developed quite the following. This year, they’ve launched Christmas ornaments to add a distinctly Canberran flavour to festive decorating.
The range includes mugs, magnets, homewares, prints and more – all featuring that signature blend of local pride and playful irreverence that makes Canberra, well, Canberra. It’s the kind of gift that’ll get a knowing laugh from anyone who calls our city home.
Whether you’re shopping for the Canberra enthusiast in your life or just want to show some capital city pride, North/South delivers fun, local, and just the right amount of cheeky.
Peak Women
Canberra’s Jenn Cowley spent 15 years working in the public service, moving through operational, strategic and leadership roles. Along the way, she developed a keen understanding that what we wear matters, and it can be a powerful tool for confidence.
Peak Women was born from that insight. More than a Canberra fashion brand, they’re a movement wrapped in bold prints, smart tailoring, and serious substance: helping ambitious, professional women unlock their power through the psychology of clothing.
Too many women still feel overlooked, undervalued or uncomfortable at work. Jenn wanted to create professional styles that are both bold and feminine – pieces that help women stand out for the right reasons. The science backs this up: studies on “enclothed cognition” show that what we wear can influence confidence, posture and performance.
The collection focuses on ethically made essentials: beautifully tailored blazers, comfortable trousers and bold statement pieces. Every design detail responds to real frustrations. The fabrics are crush-resistant and iron-free (joy!). Sleeves are widened to comfortably fit different arm shapes. Waistbands are elasticated to flex with a woman’s body. Inner pockets are positioned lower so they don’t sit awkwardly against the bust.
All of Peak Women’s blazers are lined with a special affirmation message – just for the wearer. Because while the external impact matters, what truly counts is how you feel inside.
The new range includes hot pink and bold colourful pieces designed to stand out in any crowd. Wear them as daring separates or pair them together for a statement that’s uniquely you.
Setosa Skincare
When Alice Anzanello was pregnant, she went searching for skincare that felt gentle and safe – something without harsh ingredients that she could trust. When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she and her husband Gabriel Volpato decided to create their own.
That’s how Setosa was born, an Italian-Canberran collaboration rooted in the belief that skincare should feel nourishing, beautiful and genuinely effective.
Setosa offers a curated six-step luxury skincare ritual, crafted with pure snail mucin to restore soft, radiant, healthy skin. Three hero products lead the range: the Face Anti-ageing Cream, Luminous Face Elixir, and Eye & Lip Contour Serum. Each formulation is designed to encourage women to slow down, take a breath, and care for their skin (and themselves) with softness.
What makes Setosa particularly special is their commitment to ethical production. Their snail mucin is COSMOS-certified and collected in a gentle, cruelty-free way, ensuring no snails are harmed in the process. The entire approach prioritises responsible, low-impact production that’s kinder to both animals and the planet.
For anyone seeking skincare that combines luxury with conscience, Setosa offers refinement without compromise.
Birdsnest
Jane Cay founded birdsnest after realising that the right outfit can change everything – not just how someone looks, but how they feel. True retail therapy is about confidence, joy and self-expression, and birdsnest positions itself as your wardrobe wingbird, ready to help you find exactly that.
Based in the Snowy Mountains town of Cooma on Ngarigo Country, this family-owned business now employs around 140 local staff. The mission is straightforward: solve women’s wardrobe dilemmas through personalised styling advice, express delivery, styled outfit inspiration, above-and-beyond customer service, lifetime returns, and a vast range of brands and sizes for all body shapes.
The range covers sizes 8 to 22 or 24, with pieces from birdsnest’s nine in-house labels designed right in Cooma: That Bird Label, Boho bird, Natural for birds, Sea bird, Bird Keepers, Moonlight bird, Handpicked by birds and Belle bird. Each label brings something different to the collection, but they all share that birdsnest sensibility.
The Cooma flagship store and headquarters offers a curated collection in a bustling rural town just over an hour south of Canberra – the gateway to the famous Snowy Mountains ski fields. Beyond browsing, you can book the Nest Lounge for group shopping experiences, or use the click-and-collect service if you’re short on time. Simply select ‘Cooma Store’ at checkout and your items will be waiting.
With a 365-day returns policy and express delivery available, birdsnest makes it easy to find and love your own style – whether you’re shopping online or making the trip to Cooma.
232 Sharp Street, Cooma | birdsnest.com.au
Sparrods & Co
Canberra’s Sparrods & Co designs and produces men’s smart casual shoes with an uncompromising approach to quality. Made by skilled Portuguese artisans using the highest-quality materials sourced from Europe’s finest tanneries, Sparrods & Co shoes are sold directly to customers – cutting out the middleman and focusing on what matters: enduring design and exceptional craftsmanship.
The range covers all the essentials: men’s leather boots, dress shoes, loafers, and stylish minimalist sneakers. We’re talking everything from lace-up boots to Chelsea boots, double monk straps, loafers, brogues, Oxfords, and more!
Each piece is built to last, which is exactly the philosophy behind the brand – Sparrods & Co wants to help men choose dress shoes and accessories that won’t need replacing season after season.
Standout pieces include the Kingston Oxford Wholecut shoes and the Sahara and Kingsman lace-up boots for weddings and special occasions. The Safari Chelsea boots are a popular choice for everyday wear, while the Martin and Albert loafers work beautifully for both formal and casual settings.
The newly introduced leather belts are made using real full-grain calfskin with no synthetic lining or cardboard – great quality that’ll age beautifully.
Operating online with a big heart for customers, Sparrods offers shoes and accessories in a wide variety of colours to suit any style. These are pieces you’re guaranteed to enjoy wearing for years to come.
The Canberra Distillery
Once upon a time, Tim Reardon was tinkering in his garage after long days crunching numbers as an economist, challenging himself to create a London dry-style gin. Turns out he had quite a talent. By 2015, he had 50 litres that felt good enough to sell, and The Canberra Distillery was born.
What started as garage experiments has evolved into a Mitchell operation producing multi-award-winning spirits sold in bottle shops across the country and as far away as Singapore. The portfolio has expanded well beyond that first gin to include Summer Gin, Winter Gin, Canberra Fog Gin, Sloe Gin, vodka, rum, bourbon cask whisky, and a variety of liqueurs and bottled cocktails. There’s even the ever-popular French Earl Grey Gin, created in collaboration with HerCanberra.
Despite the growth, Tim has never lost sight of where it all began. He still holds space for market and pop-up appearances – just watch the bank of Canberra Distillery tables serving lines of eager gin lovers and you’ll understand the buzz around these products.
These opportunities allow Tim and his team to explain the products, encourage tastings, and build what he calls “adorers” rather than just buyers. It’s this personal connection that’s helped turn The Canberra Distillery into a household name.
The Mitchell distillery is closed for renovations until early 2026, so be sure to check Instagram and Google for pop-up stalls and market appearances.
