MARSHFIELD − With Black Friday and Small Business Saturday right around the corner, we asked readers where their favorite places were to shop in the Marshfield area for holiday gifts. They suggested a few favorites that have made our annual holiday gift guide before, as well as several new small businesses to the community.
So as you are continuing to check off those friends and family members on your holiday gift-giving list, consider a stop at one of these local businesses.
Kailey’s Kandles & Co.
No matter who you are shopping for, you are guaranteed to find something they will love at Kailey’s Kandles & Co.
“We just have a little bit of everything,” said owner Kriss Schmitt. “I haven’t had anyone come in and not be able to find a gift they were looking for.”
In addition to the candles and wax melts that Schmitt creates and sells at the shop, 80 local crafters from the Marshfield area and within one hour of the store also have items for sale.
The store has relocated to a new, larger space at 119 S. Central Ave., right next to Uptown Coffee Co., since last holiday season so the amount of featured items for sale has increased as well.
Schmitt said she just finished some new candle and wax melt scents that will be arriving in the store this week, including Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, Ocean Breeze (to get you through those cold winter days in Wisconsin), Sugar Cookie with real sprinkles and 90s Cartoon (to take you back to the good days of watching Saturday morning cartoons).
She also has an array of “sassy, sarcastic and normal candles” in the shop, she said. Her top-selling candle is always Smell My Nuts, she said, and her lilac scent is always a favorite because customers tell her “it’s the closest to the real thing.”
In terms of top-selling vendor products, Schmitt said freeze-dried candy is very popular because of TikTok and social media, as well as home decor and crocheted items.
Holiday items continue to arrive in the store, but Schmitt said she has items for every holiday in the store year-round.
Schmitt said many vendors will have sales for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and throughout the rest of November, and she will offer $1 clearance wax melts during that time.
The store is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 715-383-9626 or find Kailey’s Kandles & Company on Facebook.
Marshfield Book & Stationery
If you are looking for something unique as well as the usual things you’d find at a good stationery store to give as a gift this holiday season, stop in at Marshfield Book & Stationery, 109800 W. McMillan St.
“If you have a budding artist in the family, this is a good place to look for a quality gift,” one reader shared. “They also have lots of educational toys for kids … or any kind of special keepsake guest book for a family celebration.”
Store Manager Pam Block said the biggest seller at the store is the Masterpieces brand puzzles. The store has about 80 different varieties on several shelves to choose from when they are fully stocked, she said.
Other top sellers for gift-giving include paint-by-number kits and other arts and crafts sets for children and even dice cups.
“Those are big sellers this time of year,” Block said. “We sell them like hot cakes.”
Some people even come in to purchase recipe binders to fill with family recipes to give as gifts, and password log books make excellent stocking stuffers, she said.
They also sell a variety of holiday stationery and Christmas cards.
The store is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and is closed on the weekends. For more information, call 715-387-1286.
Schalow’s Nursery
Readers again suggested Schalow’s Nursery, 8461 Heritage Drive in Marshfield, to complete your holiday gift list. The popular local business has a treasure trove of holiday decorations and unique items that would make for great gifts and stocking stuffers.
Schalow’s is a one-stop shop for candles, home decor, including seasonal decorations, lotions, stationery, cards, jewelry, kitchen accessories such as aprons, towels and utensils and more. Customers can also find bread mixes, Schalow’s Nursery marinades and dipping sauces, games and puzzles.
The shop also announced on its Facebook page last week that Christmas wines have arrived for holiday entertaining and gift-giving.
If you are looking to decorate your own home for the holidays, look no further, as Shalow’s has “all the fixings you need for your outdoor decorating.” They have Balsam/Fraser boughs, specialty boughs, spruce tips, wreaths and roping. They also offer decor for your porch pots, festive flags and mailbox covers.
And if you are looking for Christmas kissing balls, they have those available for preorder.
Schalow’s Nursery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 715-591-3478 or visit www.schalows.com.
Gypsie Hollow
Step back into a bygone time, a cross between Old World fantasy and classic cottage, and find “truly special items” at Gypsie Hollow, 2001 S. Central Ave., Suite G.
Co-owner Beaux Garbisch said the shop’s most popular items include their plant-based and natural home and bath products that his mom, Pamalyn, makes; a vast selection of ethically sourced gems and minerals; and pendants, bracelets and necklaces they make themselves.
Garbisch said a lot of people come into the shop looking for gifts, and they offer many ways to create gift baskets and decorative gift boxes that include everything from bar soap and bath salts to jewelry, organic teas and chocolates and other items from the store.
Garbisch said the store features between 200 and 300 pieces of handmade jewelry at any time, mostly created by his mom and made using genuine minerals and gemstones he tests himself.
“Every piece is going to reflect nature’s creativity,” he said. The shop also features a small selection of sterling silver jewelry made in Nepal.
Their gems and minerals include everything from palm stones to statement pieces for the collector or people who use them for mental and spiritual wellness, Garbisch said, noting that he gets his pieces direct from mines across the world so he can focus on ensuring ethical mining practices are used.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; they are closed Sundays. For more information, call 715-305-2110 or visit gypsiehollow.com.
Apothecary
Hop in your vehicle and head about 20 minutes south to Apothecary at 5335 Second Ave. in Pittsville and you are sure to find something for everyone on your list.
The shop is owned by Andrea Galvan of Wisconsin Rapids and it sells a variety of locally sourced goods and products from Wisconsin businesses, some from right here in central Wisconsin.
“They sell all kinds of stuff − soaps, lotions, candles, clothes, accessories, decor … all kinds of neat stuff,” one reader shared.
Galvan is always adding products to the shelves as well.
Watch the store’s Facebook page for store hours and product updates. For more information, call 715-465-0460.
Partners Gift Shop
Located in the front lobby at Marshfield Medical Center at 611 N. St. Joseph Ave., Partners Gift Shop offers “awesome gifts,” one reader shared. They said they find everything from beautiful clothes to earrings and purses to toys and books, plus a variety of seasonal ornaments and food items “to fit every occasion.”
Store Manager Kathy Stone said the gift shop offers “a nice assortment” of items, and they are in the process of putting out their seasonal merchandise. She said it’s not just visitors to the hospital and clinic who stop by the shop, and business does pick up as the holiday season approaches.
“We have Christmas decor, plants, clothing, plush toys for kids, Woodstock Chimes, jewelry, candy and other home decor,” Stone said.
The gift shop is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and is closed on the weekends. Gift shop sales help support Marshfield Medical Center. For more information, call 715-387-7105.
Don’t miss out on these past favorites
While they didn’t get a shoutout this year, we would be remiss to not mention some of the shops that our readers recommended for last year’s holiday gift list. They feature everything from records and books to apparel and self-care products to meats and cheese and more.
You’ll definitely want to check these stores out as well to help cross items off your holiday lists:
- Good Day Sunshine Record Shop, 107 S. Central Ave., has turntables that are usually a big hit with customers as are its vast collection of new and vintage records. And for anyone on your list who already has a well-established vinyl collection, record cleaners or slip mats might make the perfect gift. 715-898-1011 | www.gooddaysunshinerecordshop.com
- Merle Norman & The Day Spa Boutique, 249 S. Central Ave., is the perfect store to visit for women’s dress clothes or cosmetics. The store also carries Wisconsin-themed sweatshirts. The shop has an in-house spa that offers massages, facials, hair removal, nail services and makeup services, or you can purchase a gift card so your friends and family can choose how they’d prefer to treat themselves. 715-384-8000 | yourmerlenorman.com
- Thimbleberry Books, 166 S. Central Ave., is packed to the ceiling with options and is a must-visit for any book lovers on your list. Customers can find used books and audiobooks in multiple genres. If you’re looking for a newer release, you can place an order for it through the store. The store also offers gift card. 715-387-3049
- Weber’s Farm Store, 9706 Wood County H, offers a wide variety of items for the people in your life who love delicious snacks. From meats and cheeses to ice cream, maple syrup, jams and salsas, the local store has everything you need. The store also offers gift boxes. 715-384-5639 | webersfarmstore.com
Editor Jamie Rokus can be reach at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.