Etsy is still the best online store for hard-to-find gifts, with more than 100 million active listings from 8 million sellers at the end of 2024. Uncommon Goods comes second for ready-made presents, and our list adds Goldbelly for food gifts.
The 2014 edition of this page was a graveyard waiting to happen: Need Supply Co. shut down in September 2020, and several others stopped being the shops we described. We kept the ones that still trade, added newcomers and cut the list to eight.
| Rank | Store | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etsy | Handmade and vintage |
| 2 | Uncommon Goods | Quirky, ready-to-wrap gifts |
| 3 | Goldbelly | Regional food shipped nationwide |
| 4 | Food52 | Cooks and kitchens |
| 5 | Areaware | Design-minded home accessories |
| 6 | Steven Alan | Menswear essentials |
| 7 | Nuji | Fashion and homeware discovery |
| 8 | SuperHeroStuff | Comic and superhero fans |
The order is ours. We ranked by how many people a store can buy for, whether its range is original and whether it still operates today.
1. Etsy
Etsy launched in 2005 as a marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, and counts as vintage anything at least 20 years old. At the end of 2024 it had more than 100 million active listings, 8 million sellers and 96 million buyers, with gross merchandise sales of $12.6 billion that year.
The scale cuts both ways. You can find a custom portrait or a 1970s lamp, and you can drown in results, so use the occasion filters and read the shipping dates before ordering.
2. Uncommon Goods
Uncommon Goods is a Brooklyn-based online and catalogue retailer founded in 1999 by David Bolotsky, a former Goldman Sachs managing director. Its site went live in July 2000. About half of the assortment is handmade by independent artists, often from recycled or upcycled materials.
It became a founding B Corp in 2007. For gift buyers, it is the safest bet on this list for something that arrives ready to give.
3. Goldbelly
Goldbelly lets you order dishes from more than 1,000 US restaurants and bakeries, some of which need cooking at home. It started in a San Francisco townhouse, went through Y Combinator in 2013 and moved to New York in 2017.
The company raised $100 million in 2021. A cheesecake or a deep-dish pizza that arrives on dry ice makes a better surprise than another candle.
4. Food52
Food52 was founded in 2009 by former New York Times journalists Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, and the 52 stands for the weeks in a year. It began as a recipe community and grew into a recipe and cookware website.
It suits the person who owns three knives and has opinions about each.
5. Areaware
Areaware describes itself as a gift and home accessories brand that works with independent designers to bring charm into the home. That fits its old brief, which was practical craftsmanship mixed with humour.
It is the pick for the friend who already has everything and likes objects with a joke in them.
6. Steven Alan
Steven Alan opened his first New York store in 1994 and launched his own ready-to-wear line by 1999, known for the Reverse Seam button-down. The brand sells online and has shops in New York City, Japan and South Korea.
Today the site pitches smart wardrobe essentials for men, grounded in American roots, with free ground shipping on orders of $150 or more.
7. Nuji
Nuji pulls fashion and homeware from many retailers into one browsable site. It lists over 9,000 designers and sale items, which is convenient when you do not know whose shop sells the thing you want.
It is a discovery tool, so check the delivery terms of the store you are sent to.
8. SuperHeroStuff
SuperHeroStuff sells comic and superhero merchandise and clothing, from jewellery to underwear. Our earlier edition recommended it for exactly one kind of buyer: the person who has a favourite hero.
The site was still online in October 2026. We cannot confirm its current range, so browse before you buy.
Which stores did we remove?
Need Supply Co. closed in September 2020 after pandemic losses. We also dropped Scoop NYC, Wanelo, The Cools and Of a Kind because we could not confirm they work as gift stores today.
FAQ
What is the best online store for gifts?
Etsy, for variety, with more than 100 million active listings at the end of 2024. Uncommon Goods is the best for ready-made gifts.
Which gift store is good for food?
Goldbelly, which ships dishes from more than 1,000 US restaurants.
Did Need Supply Co. close?
Yes. The company shut down in September 2020 because of financial problems brought on by the pandemic.
Is Uncommon Goods handmade?
About half of its assortment is handmade by independent artists and artisans.
How do I avoid shipping delays?
Check the delivery estimate and the gift-by date before paying, and choose stores that show them.
How we put this list together
We ranked stores on range, originality and whether they operate today, using each store’s own pages and public company records.
Details are as of October 2026. Store ranges and shipping terms change often, so check before ordering.
Last updated: October 2026.
