Gayle Martin is in the people business. As the owner of The Wish List Gifts, she enjoys interacting with customers who are looking for the next special gift for a friend or colleague. It's been a rewarding experience since she opened the shop in 2007: “I love greeting each customer as they come through my store,” she says.
Gayle says her team of staff members are also very knowledgeable and provide excellent customer service to everyone who walks through their doors. Much of the positive atmosphere at The Wish List Gifts is a reflection of Gayle's vision for how businesses should be run. “One of my youngest staff members closed a sale at the cash register the other day and said to the customer, 'Thank you for supporting our small business'. She brought tears to my eyes,” Gayle says.
On top of her close-knit staff, Gayle's dogs – Millie and Uma – are often in the store and sometimes regulars drop by with a treat for them.
This cute, crowded Whyte Avenue shop sells an eclectic assortment of items, including amazing paintings by Canadian artists, socks, mugs, flower lights, locally made chocolate and more. It’s a fantastic place to pick up a unique gift for your friend that has everything — although, can you really say you have “everything” if you don’t have a painting of unicorns fighting in front of a rainbow?
Located on Whyte Avenue, this small, funky store is full of great gift ideas, such as artwork (lots of paintings and prints by Canadian artists!), beautiful lamps, fun socks, locally made chocolate from Violet Chocolate Co., trinkets and jewellery. Browsing through the big selection can be daunting but the staff are very friendly and helpful, and can likely help you narrow your search. If your mom favours unique items over cookie cutter gifts, this is a good spot to find the ideal present.
This is another quirky store, located on Whyte Avenue, that carries an eclectic mix of items, ranging from paintings and funky flower lamps to jewellery and candles. It’s a terrific place to pick up a few stocking stuffers for friends or family who appreciate a little eccentricity in their lives – and homes.