Holiday shopping has a way of turning even the most organized person into a last-minute browser. Merlin Classics wants to give those browsers a different kind of option: a gift that celebrates a place someone loves and quietly helps people in that community at the same time.

On the site, each town or region gets its own little corner: a brief history page, a handful of evocative images, and a set of retro hoodies, tees and hats that look like souvenirs from an older, slower era. The designs are intentionally simple—clean lettering, subtle symbols, classic colors—so they feel as appropriate on a morning walk as they do in a holiday photo.

Merlin Classics began as a question: can artificial intelligence help create a real, working business that serves local communities instead of itself? The answer turned out to be yes. AI tools handle much of the behind-the-scenes busywork, from sifting through archives to organizing timelines and testing layout ideas. That automation lets the team create many small “local” collections instead of a single generic holiday line. It also keeps overhead lean, which matters for the brand's second aim.

Merlin Classics plans to use the profits from its business to support hunger relief in the same communities it celebrates. As city and state collections generate sales, local organizations focused on hunger will be able to put themselves forward for consideration when the company makes periodic donations related to those collections.

For gift-givers, that means a hoodie or tee can do something more than fill a box. Studies suggest that many consumers actively look for brands that align with their values and support social or environmental causes, and a large majority say they are more inclined to buy from those companies. Other research has found that spending money in ways that help others is often associated with higher reported happiness, even when the amounts are modest.

As one line in the Merlin Classics book draft puts it, “A good gift tells a story; a great gift lets that story feed someone else, too.”

This season, the brand is inviting shoppers to browse history pages by town, find the places that matter most to their friends and family, and consider turning those memories into gifts that quietly help neighbors who are struggling with food insecurity.

Holiday-ready collections, town histories and ordering details can be found via the Merlin Classics homepage and history hub.