PassionFlower Design
128 E. Broadway
(541) 344-3857
Service: 3 stars Enthusiastic, upbeat and helpful.
Prices: Fairly expensive. Some gifts can be purchased for less than $50, but items such as embroidered and beaded clutches cost more than $100.
Possible gift items: Pink-patterned and flower-embellished flasks. Quilts and blankets ranging from bright shades of pink to pearly champagnes.
Shop here for: People who
appreciate French and Marie Antoinette-inspired interior decorations and gifts.
Atmosphere: The sweet smell of floral candles greets customers, and upbeat music creates an energetic environment. The store is packed with French-style books, jewelry, journals, clothing, pajamas and vases.
Hartwick’s
5th Street Public Market
(541) 686-0216
Service: 3 stars Very friendly and helpful.
Prices: Cost of items vary depending on the item. Some gifts, such as wine glasses, can be
purchased for less than $25.
Possible gift items: Clear-topped wine glasses with light pink or turquoise diamond-patterned stems.
Shop here for: Any relative or friend who likes kitchen supplies and gadgets.
Atmosphere: Each aisle bulges with items like clear crystal or brightly-colored butter dishes, plump tea kettles, old-fashioned mixers and small brown football barbecues. A rainbow of colanders hangs from above, greeting guests as they enter.
Shoe-A-Holic
957 Willamette St.
(541) 687-0898
Service: 2 stars Friendly and helpful without
being pushy.
Prices: Many shoes were more than $40. A variety of shoes were on sale for 20 or 30 percent off.
Possible gift items: Converse and Vans that come in a variety of colors and patterns, including lemon yellow, cherry red and lime green. There are also black or brown round-toe heeled booties.
Shop here for: Anyone who loves shoes.
Atmosphere: The store is a little cluttered, with shoes lining each wall. Dainty ballet flats with small bows and other embellished flats, occupy shelves on a column in the center of the store. The column and the tables surrounding it serve as a home for the sale shoes. Heels, boots and sneakers all have their own section in the little store, making it easier to find desired items. Shoes are available for men, women, and children in a variety of styles.
Swahili
5th Street Public Market
(541) 684-0688
Service: 2 stars Laid back and helpful without being pushy.
Prices: Some gifts, such as earrings and beaded animals can be purchased for less than $25.
Possible gift items: Beaded jewelry or beaded African animals such as elephants and giraffes.
Shop here for: Any relative or friend who likes imported, non-mainstream gifts.
Atmosphere: All items in the store are from Africa except for CDs and a few other items. Instruments, vases, and a large, rust-colored giraffe line the sides of the path, weaving through the collection of possible gift items.
Down to Earth
532 Olive Street and 2498 Willamette Street
(541) 342-6820
Service: 2 stars Cheerful greetings, little additional help offered.
Prices: There is a wide variety of possible gifts and price ranges.
Possible gift items: Dishes with coordinating mugs available in a variety of hues, such as orange, royal blue and snowy white. Outdoor items such as chimes, lanterns and bird feeders. Games such as Bird Bingo and Gardenopoly.
Shop here for: Outdoor-loving, houseware-using friends and family.
Atmosphere: The store is divided into separate sections, including clothing, housewares, outdoor gifts and supplies, children’s toys and games, lotions and soaps, and decorative lamps and lighting fixtures.