SHOPPING ONLINE!

 This year, 2020, will be remembered for a lot of things, mostly bad but a lot of good as well.  This year became the year that online shopping really took off!  It's been talked about a lot in previous years but no one thought it would be the preferred way to shop for many who previously had to go in person.  With the entire nation cooped up in our homes, online shopping became a way of life.  

Today I want to review a shop that I found while perusing Facebook places.  Its called The Lofty Fig and is located in Port Charlotte, FL.  You can read about them here https://theloftyfig.com/pages/about-us

The Lofty Fig has a wide variety of unusual and quirky gifts modestly priced!  Twenty pages worth!  With the gift giving season coming up, we can't always find an inexpensive perfect for that person locally.  While perusing the shop online, I noted several things I could buy for special people in my life.  Lots of socks for Dads and Golfers, kitchen mitts for Mom's and Dad's, candlewarmers, food packages and more!  

Owning a gift shop is an experience in itself.  As an interior designer with a shop I ventured up to the Atlanta Merchandise Mart in January many times.  Here there is 24 floors of shopping in three different buildings.  You can shop fashion, gifts and furnishings!  I always enjoyed shopping during market but was more interested in the furniture, accessories,  and flooring showrooms.  I liked perusing the gift market but in gifts, you have to buy x amount of the same product.  

I admire The Lofty Fig for the variety of products they have.  Something for everyone.  When you go to market, there are thousands of shops available for you to purchase your wares.  The best ones would be the ones who will actually send a rep to your shop to help you with purchases.  But they don't all have reps.  So going in person is the best way.  There are minimums so if you like a set of oven mitts you will have to purchase a dozen of the same mitt.  If it doesn't sell to your clientelle, then you eventually put that oven mitt on sale to get rid of it.  

There are seasons to shop for, because if you come into a shop In July and its decorated still for Easter, you won't be inspired.  The shop owner has to change the vignettes and merchandise constantly to keep a fresh look.  And when you go in January to Market, you need to be prepared to shop for Christmas orders.  Yes, it takes that long.  Its a whole business in itself just keeping up.  

I'm impressed.  We used to have a great gift shop in our town but the owners retired a few years back. They tried to sell the business but that didn't happen.  I used to run into them at Market in Atlanta.  We miss that shop because you could always find the best and appropriate gift there. She had all of the football teams, AL, UFl, FSU, AUBURN, LSU. In our area you must have all of them!  

Thanks for reading.  When I need a unique gift from now on, I'll likely head to https://theloftyfig.com/pages/about-us online to find the best!