May I suggest that this year
more than most,
you
BUY LOCALLY
and
BUY USED.

I will offer some examples: some of these are Philly-centric, others not so.

Here in West Philadelphia, there is a GREAT small business
called The Last Word Bookstore.

It's all used books, some in nearly mint condition. You can even get collectables and rare books there. By supporting Last Word, your money goes to a small retailer, and not to a corporation. 215-386-7750

Another great second hand shop is Firehouse Bicycles,at 50th and Baltimore. You can get all sorts of good deals there, practically new brand-name bikes for super cheap. Again, since it's all used, no money goes to a giant multi-national corporation.
(215) 727-9692

Ken Rosso, who is one of my favorite people, has started a business called The GreenkeeperEco-Cleaning Service. For a reasonable rate, Ken does house cleaning, using biodegradable and nontoxic cleaning supplies. He just won a local contest for innovative new businesses: 215-432-6105.

More generally:

Tickets to local theatre are always nice.
Local produce and local beer make fantastic gifts.
Antique stores are a good source for jewelry,furniture, and brick-a-brack.
Walmart can suck it,
but the fact is,
no matter WHAT "new goods" store you shop at,
you're probably buying something that was manufactured inChina or Korea.
You're just changing the outlet where you buy the item.
Unless it's something that NEEDS to be new, like a stereo or a computer or boxer shorts,
there's
NO NEED
to buy NEW.