Nov 22, 2008

Gift shop prepares for its first Christmas in MaumeeBy Brandi BarhiteToledoFreePress.com

A newly relocated stationery and gift boutique is preparing for its first Christmas in Uptown Maumee.

The Birds & the Bees moved from Perry’s Landing to 103 E. Wayne St. in June.

“We were on Louisiana Avenue, but we weren’t in the downtown area. We were kind of on the wrong side of the tracks,” said co-owner Karrie Brock.

The move has been good for business, with 2008 being the best year since opening in August 2004, Brock said, crediting the personal service they provide.

“I don’t know anywhere else in town where they give that kind of attention because they have a place to sit down comfortably and look through the books,” Casey Agosti said of their wedding invitations. “We pay attention to the order every step of the way.”

The women are applying their signature customer service to the holiday shopping season. This will be their first year venturing into the sale of Christmas decorations and gifts. They already offer bridal, children, baby and gifts for girlfriends.

“We had a lot of people come in and they were like, ‘Oh I don’t have a baby coming: ‘Oh I don’t have a wedding coming up,’ so we were like maybe we should expand a little bit,” Agosti said.

The women will feature a stocking stuffer buffet with gifts for $5 and less. The buffet will be set up after Thanksgiving and include lip balm, holiday soap sponges, musical pens and lotions. Some Christmas gifts are already on display.

“I don’t think they have started to shop yet, shockingly,” Agosti said. “Maybe it is the economy.”

“We have had some little stocking stuffers start to go,” Brock added.

The ladies predict Webkinz pets will be big this Christmas. Webkinz are popular plush pets that each come with a secret code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia and earn KinzCash. The animals are $12.99, and Little Kinz animals are $9.99 at their boutique.

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