One of the things that makes Northampton, well, Northampton, is Essentials. I started shopping at…read moreEssentials almost twenty years ago, and it's been a staple of my quirky life ever since. It's changed hands twice in my awareness, and just keeps getting better and better with age. This is a design-focused, design-heavy shop, and there are things I can pretty much only get AT Essentials; for instance, they've got a cut-to-custom-length ribbon bar, and some of that ribbon is vintage, and my absolute favorite is the hand-dyed silk. Also, they've got the best collection of Tintin and other European character favorites (like Barbapapa and Babar) this side of the pond. Oh, and the staff is wonderful. Knowledgable, friendly, thoughtful, and creative. Over the years, the cast of characters has changed, but it's always top-shelf. One giant boon: they've helped me put together a gift in no time, saving my bacon on numerous occasions! On a typical day, you can find stationery of all kinds, the indier the better; dishware; rubber stamps; intriguing books (think Chronicle); bath goods; bags of all shapes, sizes, and purposes; clothes and scarves; eight million things for kids, from blankies to onesies to stuffed alligators; jewelry; small home goods; special pens; DIY kits; custom furniture; large sheets of beautiful artisan paper; and a ton of things I'm forgetting. And one other thing about Essentials I am not forgetting, but which I saved for last, because it's my favorite. Essentials has an in-house design and print studio. And they also work with a select group of indie designers and printers who create everything from business cards to party invites. Here is where Colette, the current owner, really freaking shines, in my opinion. There was one thing I wanted when it came time to get married. One. Thing. That one thing was letterpress wedding invitations from Essentials. Colette took us from beautiful nebulous idea to flawlessly-executed product without ever breaking a sweat. I don't know if you've ever worked with people who are about to get married, but we are not always the most poised, cool-headed, or unflappable of people; Colette sat us down in the big comfy chairs and made sketches and phone calls, and really made our family feel like we were the only people in the entire world. Go see what I'm talking about - our invitation is probably still hanging in its golden-framed, green-paper-backed glory. Nearly four thousand miles away now, and I'm still bouncing in my chair as I look forward to my next trip to Essentials, whenever it may be.

I like this store and their merchandise. The prices are high, as the merchandise is of a high…read morequality. However their store policies are not up par with many upscale stores. We received a lovely gift of several girls garments, however we have a male child. The store manager, who did not have the courage to call us, rather made a sales associate do their work, informed us without a receipt we can not get a store credit. So wonderful Essentials, you made some money from this sale, but you lost a lot more revenue from this here shopper.

cathy did an outstanding job, especially on memorial day to get my anniversary gift out…read more received gift in two days as promised. thank you for working on memorial day. also, cathy did an awesome job with the customer (me). thank you tony

5 stars does not begin to capture all they did for me. Specifically, Cathy was incredible in…read morereaching out to me on my order. Her kind and sensitive approach was something I think I will always treasure. While my gift was to remember the anniversary of my parents' passing, I can certainly see so many more joyful reasons to return to Reflections by Claudia.

It seems that there are two different stores, one that sells home goods and gifts, and then the…read moreFashion/clothes store. This review is about the Clothes store. I needed a dress, and while I could've gotten something at marshalls or burlington, I wanted something well made that didn't look cheap. Something unique, and I found what I wanted here. Good quality fabric, well made womens attire that looked great and got me compliments. The best part of it was that they had a sale section that made my shopping experience very affordable so I walked out of there with two dresses! Staff was helpful, and I know this is going to be a place I shop at every time I visit.

Ooh this place was so cute! We visited the home goods section and I loved looking around for gifts…read more I ended up finding some great ones in the clearance sections, which were scattered around the store on the outside shelves. My friend picked up some nice bowls and a few other items, and I came away with a book, some air fresheners, a pack of car stickers, and a puzzle, all for about $10. What a deal! I only wish I would've picked up a few more items. The cashiers were friendly and efficient. I would recommend this shop for anyone looking to buy gifts or items for themselves!

This is a cute country store off a busy main road. It's not really my style (very farmhouse/country…read moredecor) but my Secret Santa recipient listed it as a favorite store. If you use Google Maps to get there it's off by about a quarter mile but it's easy enough to turn around. The owners are very sweet and helpful, I arrived a few minutes before they officially opened but I was welcomed right in and offered a cup of coffee! What more could you ask for? They make most of their goods in house and if you're looking for something special, they can absolutely help you out.

It's a good thing they have a giant inflatable man wildly wiggling in the air, and also a large…read morebanner advertising their location because otherwise it's pretty much impossible to find them. Even following Yelp's directions, they ultimately lead to you to a parking lot where the building beside it looks abandoned. We almost gave up and as we were walking up the street, the wiggling inflatable man caught my eye, and I realized that's actually the art store. This was a fun store to browse. They have a lot of supplies for all your artistic needs, and at pretty reasonable prices. I was looking for pottery supplies on this visit and found a few. They only carry speedball glaze, not sure why but it would be nice to see them carry brands like Laguna or Amaco. Perhaps they don't have enough people buying glazes to justify supplying a large array? Regardless, I ended up buying one, especially since it was a few dollars cheaper than online. It felt good to support a local art store in this way. They had a great sale going on, especially with regards to paint brushes. I didn't buy any as pottery glaze tends to be harsh on bristles so I always get whatever is cheap but if you're looking for oil, acrylic, watercolor supplies this place would be great for that. The people working here were stellar! Very friendly, and easy to talk to. Would be a regular if I lived here.

Found exactly what I was looking for right away. Shop is well organized, staff is very helpful…read more Parking was a little dodgy but not horrible

I could not disagree more with the reviewer above. I LOVE 'Cooper's' - they have wonderful gifts,…read morejewelry, unique clothing & home furnishings. I've always found the staff at 'Cooper's' to be friendly and helpful. Yes, you may not be greeted. And, if you want help, you probably just have to ask for it. I like the fact they leave you alone to browse. But the minute you ask for help, they're with you in a second. And the staff - and owner - are always unfailing friendly. I like the fact I'm not being constantly bothered by the often-phoney, "How are you today?"... "Did you find what you were looking for?".... etc. etc. etc. I like being able to browse in peace!

The store's actual name is Coopers Gifts Apparel Home…read more Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coopersgifts/ Instagram: coopergifts Their website is www.coopergifts.com I keep hearing about coopers in a Facebook forum I was in. I wasn't sure if this would be a store for me. On Mother's Day, I decided to stop in. This store is awesome! So many things for my mom but really so many things for myself. I moved back to Massachusetts two years ago. This house is very different than my house in Oklahoma City. So I keep looking for things to make the house my home. They also charitable. They do round up and pick a charity to give to. So cool! I signed up for emails. I also started following Kate at Coopers on Instagram. She does a barn sale. Where you purchase the item, pay for it and either have it shipped or pick it up. So great for people that can't get to the store. Also, the items are usually a great discount. My first barn sale I bought the cutest sign that I hung on my front door. The prices are a little more than I usually spend. But the items are unique. And if you wait Kate usually has a sale. Coming up on Veteran's Day she is having a store wide sale. One weekend when she was having a sale I bought a cute clock and large mirror with a white border for my kitchen. Recently, I received an email with a 20 percent off coupon. This time I bought my dog a cute canister for his treats. This is definitely a place to stop. Look around there are two floors of items all over the store. Also follow the store on Facebook, twitter and instagram. Then you will know what kind of specials she has going on.

Antique shop with some really beautiful finds, reasonable pricing, some collectibles. They also…read morerefinish items and do custom pieces. Occasionally they do flea markets out front as well. We bought the most beautiful vintage leather chairs and the owner was really accommodating on the pick up for us. The owners are lovely people which makes the shopping experience really nice.

New location 133 Hartford Ave. Suite #3 East Granby, CT. Antiques plus fabulous handmade farm…read moretables as well as other furniture. Custom made available!

I felt a sense of well-being the moment I walked in ... between the incense, the meditation music…read more They have high quality wares (and I walked out with several of them), although their "crystals" -- what laymen would call "polished minerals" -- are as overpriced as such things usually are in such shops. Prices are indeed high, but the selection is broad (and this is Northampton, after all, not a town for bargains), and while they do indeed peddle something for many a New Age taste, the place is far less kitschy than others with a similar business plan. The staff was perfectly polite and entirely accommodating to my needs and questions, even though I visited during a Noho sidewalk sale, and the place was jammed. I wonder at all the reviews claiming that staff was "rude," and wonder if it's just that New Age shoppers are more prone to being Shopzillas than most, demanding that staff kneel before them and kiss their feet.

Excellent, well stocked store that has a great variety and reasonable prices. Definitely a must…read morevisit anytime I'm in Northampton!