In honor of #ThankYouThursday where we pen a review for a local fav, The General Store in downtown…read moreOP was the first place my mind headed. This gem of a store has been so clutch over the years for picking up gifts. Some of the people in my life are, um, a little hard to shop for, but when I come in here, I always come away with something great. It's all so well-curated; some gifts are classy, some funny, and many are versatile. It beats the socks off of going into a big box store in a million ways. Being in a charming stretch of a walkable area adds to its appeal, and the staff is always friendly. They also have Pickwick candles which are some of the best in town. These soy candles will last multiple seasons and almost all of them smell amazing. Cheers to this shop, they're doing it right and have saved my bacon every December since they've opened.

1. I'm going to this store for every birthday and Christmas, including my little grand baby who…read moreturns 1 on 12/31. 2. The General Store is a board book extravaganza. Board books every where. While I went there for a Trapp candle leather/tobacco for my son (which smells like leather and tobacco and is really nice) the amount of board books for children is phenomenal. I could easily spend $100 on board books there. And not just regular board books, but interesting topics like the Kansas City board book I bought. 3. Haha the cluster eff towels, cluster eff pencils, Get the eff to sleep book (which I bought). The unique gifts and trinkets are bountiful and wonderful. I laughed out loud plenty of times, including at the Dog in Chairs gift cards. There's plenty of things to see and buy. Thanks to Adam and the Yelp shop local event, The General Store is a must see. Oh I forgot pictures, sorry.

I've always gone here to pick up party supplies because every time I walk in here, they seems to…read morealways have new items. It's such a cute store with so many items that you just wanna buy. I've gotten candles from here as gifts or for myself. But one of these years, I'm gonna to get their popular Christmas cute mug that they've been selling every year during Christmas time. They go out of stock fast in those mugs for good reason. They have seasonal decorations too which are super cute and the look I like for simple but modern and are excellent quality. When I use up all my candles, it will be time for my next visit to this charming place! If you're at Park Place, I suggest stopping by here and taking a look inside!

I absolutely love this store! This is a women-owned business and they are such wonderful people…read more They get the cutest things year-round and a lot of their items sell out. I have gone in for birthday cards, agendas, Halloween decor, you name it. They are actually expanding and going into a larger storefront very soon. This is a great business to support local. I also love looking at their website and Instagram to see what they have in stock. I wish they got a bit more decorations for Hanukkah more than a menorah but I have a hard time finding Hanukkah decorations in general. I love this place and will definitely continue to support it.

Service is amazing. Everyone is so friendly. If they don't have what you need they will order and…read moreget it in fairly quickly. Don, Pat and Mindy are great people! Vicki Morse

Went to go exchange a gift, and they had asked when I received the gift (sorry for being honest!)…read moreit was over the 30 day window (not by much) but they said they could not exchange it out even though it hadn't been opened and still had the price tag on it. AND the exact same product they were still selling on their shelf. That's one way to lose a customer!

Love this place! They have books for all age ranges and topics. The books are reasonably priced and…read morethe owner was super sweet to me. Helped me find just what i needed.

It's a bookshop & local gift stop rolled into one brick & mortar spot in Shawnee. Locally owned…read morewith a book inventory that rotates fairly frequently, and who doesn't love a good book? Plenty of children's titles, lots of current fiction, and a strong selection of biographies all round out the shop. You can also browse the games & puzzles selections, locally made postcards & prints, and other Kansas City-oriented items. I picked up a fun game of 'Haikubes', a series of cubes with differing words and themes with which to build Japanese poetry. What a find! Parking is easy and browsing is easy. Definitely a vibe of a 'book store' with the space & service. Check it out!

Bold colors catch your eye when you walk by...and you just have to check this place out. Owner is…read moresuper fun and helpful--check back frequently as new items are brought in weekly.

Absolutely love the Made in KC Marketplace - Lenexa location! It's the perfect blend of local…read moreshopping and laid-back hangout. You can browse the store full of great KC-made finds, then settle into the café to relax and enjoy the vibe. The café offers a small but solid selection of bakery items, plus a full coffee and cocktail bar. There's plenty of seating, making it a great spot to sit, chat, and linger a while. One of my favorite perks? This location has Ludo's West Shuffleboard, which makes it even more fun and unique. And the location can't be beat--it's right across the street from Lenexa Public Market, so you can easily make an afternoon of it. Whether you're meeting friends, grabbing a drink, or just soaking in some local flavor, this spot is a win. Highly recommend! BONUS: I've found the best way to experience Made in KC is as a VIP ... for $28 monthly, you get two free drinks (coffee or cocktails) and a monthly gift from the market of at least $35 (sometimes more). If you don't want the preselected item, you can swap for a t-shirt or store credit. Still haven't signed up to be a Made in KC VIP? What are you even waiting for?! February delivered two drinks and a 16-piece box of Christopher Elbow chocolates. That's a $73 value for $28. This perk math is chef's kiss!

Hopped in for a drink, and was so surprised with this place! Great service!…read more Spicy marg: So good, light and fresh! Hub got a Space Camper, can't go wrong. Such a cool vibe, to have a drink and do some shopping. They also have de-caf expresso martinis which I will be back to try!

Be cautious about buying clothing gifts. I received a great sweatshirt for Christmas (not on…read moresale). Still tagged and everything, attempted to return it and the old woman at the counter thumped the sign at her register stating no returns or exchanges. It was a gift, so I had no idea and drove a bit to get there. I attempted to call first, and well...you should hear their outgoing message. Another testament to their lack of service. Kind of sad as I would like to support small businesses, but definitely not coming back to this place.

Fun shop Lots of cute things Coffee mugs coasters cookies…read more Jewelry glassware with silly quips

Super cute little gift and stationery shop. I stopped in while I was visiting family over the…read moresummer and was happy to see they have an online store now too. I tried to 'shop small' as much as possible this year and I found some really classy Christmas ornaments and other little gifts from their online shop.

From the owner: Discover beautiful things that make every day special. Enjoy…read morebrowsing our carefully selected gifts, decor, baby, and fine stationery items. Everything we offer we would love to give, receive or use in our home. Additionally, all our pantry items are sampled to ensure high quality and great taste!

Cute shop with a decent amount of offerings. The staff members are super kind and make you feel…read morewelcome. Most items are locked under glass so it's hard to see the merchandise and the prices are a bit higher than other locations close by.

We dropped into this store for a last minute Christmas gift a few weeks ago. It was an absolute…read moredelight! They had a great selection of unique products spanning from floor to ceiling. The staff was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. I will be back soon as I could, literally, spend hours browsing this cute shop!

I have always liked Best Buy, and will purchase items there whenever possible in order to keep them…read moregoing. Usually their prices are set to match their competitors, however there was an item that Costco and Sam's Club were offering for less over Christmas. I looked up to see if they would price match those stores, and the website indicated that they would. When I was checking out, the cashier looked at the pricing at both the other stores, and verified it was the same item. He needed a manager to come change the price, and I had to wait at least five minutes for one to come over. The manager told me that what the website doesn't tell you is that in order for them to price match Costco or Sam's, you have to have a membership at Best Buy. I didn't even know they offered one, or why I would even need one. He told me that if I paid $50 for a membership that he would do the price match. I told him that if I did that, the item would cost me more than just buying it at Costco. He just shrugged his shoulders uncaringly. I left, and drove straight to Costco to purchase the item. On the way, I called Best Buy customer service to see if that was indeed the policy. The verified that it was absolutely not the policy, and that I didn't need to buy a membership to match the price. I assume maybe the manager gets spiffed for selling memberships, and lied to me in order to sell one, but all they did was lose a good customer for life. I won't be returning.

Located in a safe part of Overland Park and across from Oak Park Mall, Best Buy is still hanging on…read moreas a staple of "brick and mortar" physical locations. The outside seems normal enough, on par with our memories of a begotten age and heck the employees seem very nice as well. The parking lot also is relatively smooth, devoid of potholes!!! That said be warned I'm still a fan of this place, regardless of some of the stupid business practices enacted by a short sited corporate regime. Walk on in and you get greeted relatively quickly but also a blast of cold or hot air hits you, depending on the season, to make shopping that much easier! I'll admit I'm still somewhat taken back that every time I walk in, some nice employee says hi! Very nice. As with most Best Buys now adays, directly in front of the shopper, you know where the DVDs, Blu rays, 4ks used to be to encourage impulse shopping, lies the multitude of cell phones. Yes, I mentioned the physical media b/c it's a sore spot with me. Please note the inventory of DYI items like wire, connectivity butts, odd length of HDMI cable and things of that nature have been scaled down. I strongly advise checking online if you don't like just browsing like me. Also, a lot of options in terms of computer mice, keyboards and things of that nature aren't as plentiful anymore. I mean, it's better than many other competitors but not what I remember of the golden age of Best Buy in the 2000s. As stated, physical media in terms of movies and music is gone but games are also impacted yet they do carry some titles, especially new or hot items. As far as new consoles, I've never had much luck getting a "hard to get" system as opposed to other places. In those regards, plan ahead. Now they do have a great selection of TVs and surprisingly if you like higher end equipment they carry that too! When I first moved to Kansas in 2000, this was my "home" Best Buy. They've continued to have competitive pricing, a friendly staff and a pretty good stock of most items. I won't sugar coat this because it affects all stores, is they've scaled back on a lot of items like I mentioned. If you're a window shopper, I invite you to come by. However if you need an item and expect it to be in stock, I suggest checking the website first. I've been to a lot of Best Buys and this one continues to be a great store!