Seacoast Shopping Guide: Independent Shops Before the Holidays

Early November is a good time to get ahead of holiday shopping on the New Hampshire Seacoast. The summer crowds are gone, parking is easier, and most shops have their holiday stock on the shelves before the late-November rush. This guide is built around independent shops where the gift comes with a story: a bookstore with a family history going back to 1928, a soap maker on Market Street, a yarn shop that has served Dover knitters for more than two decades, a fabric and sewing shop on Route 1 and a candy counter in Hampton.

We have separate guides to downtown Portsmouth shopping and to shopping in Exeter and Dover. This one is deliberately different: it follows a loop across the region and leans toward makers, crafters and people on your list who would rather get something handmade, or the supplies to make it themselves.

Where the Seacoast shops are

The Seacoast Region is the southeast corner of New Hampshire, centered on Portsmouth. Most definitions include inland towns as well, among them the Great Bay cities of Dover and Rochester, the college town of Durham, and areas as far west as Epping. Portsmouth is the region's cultural and commercial hub.

For shoppers, two roads do most of the work. US Route 1 runs about 17 miles through New Hampshire, following the historic Lafayette Road from Seabrook through Hampton and North Hampton into Portsmouth. The road is named for the Marquis de Lafayette, who passed over it in 1825. Dover sits inland to the northwest, reached from Portsmouth by the Spaulding Turnpike. You can cover every shop in this guide in a single day, though two shorter outings are more relaxing.

Portsmouth: books and soap

Reedmor Books & Brews

Reedmor Books & Brews at 67 State Street is a general-interest bookstore for adults combined with a cafe and a bar serving beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. The bookstore and the bar sit in two connected rooms, so you can browse on one side and sit down with a drink and a light bite on the other.

The name has a long history. The owner's great-grandparents opened Reedmor Magazine Co. in Center City Philadelphia in 1928, and it became known as a destination for hard-to-find books and magazines. The family business closed in the early 2000s, and the Portsmouth shop is the next chapter, opened by a great-granddaughter who spent her career in book publishing. WMUR reported that the shop has a shelf for local authors and hosts its own book clubs, with local book clubs meeting there as well.

For holiday shopping, a bookstore with a bar is a good place to split up a group. Readers can browse while everyone else finds a seat. The store carries books for adults only, so plan a separate stop if you are shopping for children.

Portsmouth Soap Company

Portsmouth Soap Company at 175 Market Street sells handmade soaps along with Seacoast-inspired bath products, accessories and gift baskets. The founder makes many of the products by hand and works with other local makers to keep the selection changing. On the shop's website, the founder describes herself as a nurse for 36 years and a mom, and credits a love of simple, high-quality ingredients for starting the business.

Two things make this a strong holiday stop. First, the shop announces seasonal holiday soaps and offers gift cards, which are easy to tuck into a card. Second, it runs soap classes, which can make a good experience gift for someone who already has everything. Class dates and availability change, so check the shop's website before you promise anyone a seat.

Dover: Spinning Yarns

Spinning Yarns at 511 Central Avenue in downtown Dover has served Seacoast fiber enthusiasts since Margot and Rick Erdmann opened it in the fall of 2002. The shop stocks yarn and takes special orders on yarn in your choice of color, which helps if you are planning a handmade gift with a deadline.

The shop is also a teaching and community space. It lists fall and winter workshops in skills such as beading, fair isle, embroidery, brioche and socks, and its special workshops usually run one or two days in both knitting and crochet. It periodically hosts a knit-along with sit-and-knit days, plus occasional trunk shows where a yarn supplier brings finished garments so you can see and feel the yarn before you buy.

If someone on your list has said they want to learn to knit, a workshop paired with a skein or two is a thoughtful gift. Check the current schedule, since workshops fill and change by season.

North Hampton: Pintuck & Purl

Pintuck & Purl is on Route 1 in North Hampton, in the Village Shopping Center at 69 Lafayette Road. The shop describes North Hampton as a small historic town, about an hour north of Boston and an hour south of Portland.

The shop focuses on sewing and knitting. Its catalog covers fabric, yarn, patterns and books, tools and notions, and BERNINA sewing machines, sergers and longarms, plus a gifts and gift cards section. It also runs a class calendar, special events and master classes, and private classes and events.

For holiday shoppers who are not sewists themselves, the simplest move is a gift card or a class for the sewist in your life. If you do want to choose fabric or notions, the staff can help you avoid a mismatch with the project they have in mind.

Hampton: Huckleberry's Candies

Huckleberry's Candies is at 293 Lafayette Road in Hampton, also on Route 1. The shop sells candy and chocolate in a wide range: fudge, jelly beans, homemade marshmallows, maple candy, popcorn and brittle, retro and old-fashioned candy, taffy, truffles, turtles and caramels, chocolate bars and chocolate-covered fruit. It also offers pre-assorted gift boxes, custom chocolate assortments, gift baskets and corporate gifts.

The shop's site also has sections for gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free and vegan candy, which helps when you are buying for someone with dietary needs. Ingredients and allergens vary by product, so ask in the shop before you buy for someone with an allergy. The website lists daily hours and says hours are extended during the holiday seasons. Check the current hours before you drive over.

A simple one-day loop

Here is one way to string the shops together. It is a suggestion, not a schedule, so confirm each shop's hours for the day you go.

1. Start in Dover at Spinning Yarns on Central Avenue.

2. Drive to Portsmouth and park once downtown. Walk to Portsmouth Soap Company on Market Street, then to Reedmor Books & Brews on State Street for a break.

3. Head south on Route 1 to Pintuck & Purl in North Hampton.

4. Finish at Huckleberry's Candies in Hampton, a few miles farther south on the same road.

If you would rather split the day, do Portsmouth and Dover on one outing and the two Route 1 stops on another.

Tips for shopping independent before the holidays

• Go early. Early and mid-November weekdays are calmer than the weeks after Thanksgiving, and popular holiday items have not sold through yet.
• Mark Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. American Express created it in 2010 to encourage holiday shopping at small, local, brick-and-mortar businesses. Expect busier shops that day and plan accordingly.
• Ask about classes and gift cards. Several shops on this route teach classes, which make good experience gifts.
• Ask before you assume. Hours, class schedules and holiday stock change. Call or check each shop's website before you go.
• Bring a list of sizes and colors. It saves a second trip if you are buying yarn, fabric or clothing for someone else.

FAQ

Which Seacoast towns are in this guide?

Portsmouth, Dover, North Hampton and Hampton. All are part of the New Hampshire Seacoast Region.

Is this the same as your Portsmouth shopping guide?

No. Our Portsmouth guide covers galleries, gift shops, toys and games downtown. This guide focuses on books, handmade bath products, yarn, fabric and candy across four towns.

When is Small Business Saturday?

It is the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year, so it always falls between November 24 and November 30.

Can I bring kids to Reedmor Books & Brews?

The shop carries books for adults only and includes a bar. Check with the shop directly about visiting with children.

Do these shops offer gift cards?

Portsmouth Soap Company and Pintuck & Purl both mention gift cards on their websites, and Huckleberry's Candies sells gift certificates. For other shops, ask in person.

Sources

• Seacoast Region (New Hampshire), Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seacoast_Region_(New_Hampshire)
• U.S. Route 1 in New Hampshire, Wikipedia (Lafayette Road, length, towns, 1825): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_1_in_New_Hampshire
• Small Business Saturday, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Business_Saturday
• Reedmor Books & Brews official website (address): https://www.reedmorbooks.com/
• Reedmor Books & Brews on Bookshop.org (history, bookstore, cafe and bar): https://bookshop.org/shop/reedmorbooks
• Union Leader, "New bookstore bar coming to Portsmouth" (adult books, two connected rooms, family history): https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/new_business/new-bookstore-bar-coming-to-portsmouth-howling-wolf-taqueria-opens/article_8caa97e4-97eb-11ef-9dcf-f392e25137af.html
• WMUR, "NH Chronicle: Reedmor Books and Brews in Portsmouth" (local authors shelf, book clubs): https://www.wmur.com/article/chronicle-portsmouth-reedmor-books-brews/70330589
• Portsmouth Soap Company official website (address, products, holiday soaps, gift cards): https://portsmouthsoaps.com/
• Portsmouth Soap Company, About Us: https://portsmouthsoaps.com/about-us/
• Spinning Yarns official website (address, history, workshops, knit-alongs, trunk shows): https://spinningyarnsnh.com/
• Pintuck & Purl, About Us (location, address): https://pintuckandpurl.com/pages/about-us
• Pintuck & Purl official website (products, classes, gift cards): https://pintuckandpurl.com/
• Huckleberry's Candies official website (address, products, hours note): https://huckleberryscandies.com/