CHICOPEE — In an effort to answer common gift-giving needs, Feel Good Shop Local announced the Gift Concierge Showcase, happening on Thursday, May 2 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Springfield in Chicopee. The event will showcase a hand-selected grouping of some of the finest artisans and boutiques in Western Mass., including art from Painted Crane, Ana Banderia Chocolates, Owl Brand gifts, and many more.

“There’s a pressing need in our community to make meaningful gift giving convenient and easy, while supporting our local businesses and investing back into our neighborhood,” said Michelle Wirth, founder of Feel Good Shop Local. “This event will build the bridge between those in need of a gift that feels intentional and our incredible artists and small businesses right here in Western Mass. who have a unique selection of goods and services that fit that need.”

Largely aimed at serving professionals looking to leave a lasting impression with their clients and customers, attendees can expect to find curated gift selections selected to fit the needs of real-estate agents, event planners, financial advisors, sales representatives, human-resource professionals, and more. Members of the Feel Good Shop Local team will be on hand to offer guidance, advice, and ideas on how to help one’s brand stand out from the crowd with memorable client gifts.

The Gift Concierge Showcase is also an opportunity for those looking for non-business-related gift giving, with a large selection of products and experiences ideal for birthdays, condolences, new babies, housewarmings, Mother’s Day, graduations, teacher appreciation, and more, all available for purchase on site or to order for future delivery.

The event is open to the public and free to attend. For more information and to register to attend, visit feelgoodshoplocal.com.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — New online marketplace Feel Good Shop Local will partner with the Big E in its Front Porch endeavor to bring local businesses to the forefront of the fair, making this enviable selling opportunity available to these local stores.

“I can’t think of a better way to launch the ultimate local shopping platform, feelgoodshoplocal.com, than at the ultimate fair, the Big E,” said Michelle Wirth, owner of Mercedes-Benz of Springfield and founder of feelgoodshoplocal.com. “We are so excited to be here with our Feel Good Shop Local courtyard. This is a unique opportunity for shoppers and our sellers to conveniently connect. This embodies what we stand for; we are passionate about helping local businesses thrive.”

Fueled by the COVID-19 crisis, Wirth founded Feel Good Shop Local in 2020 to ensure local small businesses would not be left out of the online shopping and discovery experience. Focused on selling consumer lifestyle goods and services, it has brought local small businesses and artisans of Western Mass. and Northern Conn. to one online marketplace for the region to discover, shop, and ship to their door, all with a few clicks of the mouse. Visit www.feelgoodshoplocal.com to shop and learn more.

Each local business receives a ‘storefront’ within the platform, their own always-open e-commerce store. It is a place they can send their existing customers to shop them more often and a place where new customers can find them easily. The store owners and their stories are front and center.

“We felt it was really important for shoppers to know who they are buying from, so we produce the imagery and videos of the owners and artisans telling their story,” Wirth said. “Our aim is to help shoppers support local by making these stores discoverable and accessible to a wider array of today’s shoppers used to the online shopping experience.”

The Feel Good Shop Local courtyard at the Big E will be located prominently just outside the Better Living Center among a variety of new local food and consumer-goods vendors. Local stores will rotate in and out of the space, so consumers can visit often to discover new and interesting local finds each day. Programming will place in the courtyard periodically over the course of the fair.