There are skylights and large windows that make the 100-year-old building light and airy. A caf\u00e9 brewing coffee and tea and serving locally sourced treats gives the store a sweet aroma. And even at noon on an average Monday in November, the store is filled\u2014locals work on laptops in the caf\u00e9, a group of tourists in the checkout line wait to purchase new timepieces, and people wander and browse the latest Shinola collections.<\/p>\n
After grabbing a tea from the caf\u00e9, I meet up with Meredith M., keyholder at the Shinola Detroit store. As keyholder, Meredith is responsible for opening and closing the store while managing and running the floor as the sales leader. Today, she\u2019s my Shinola holiday shopping guide.<\/p>\n
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4568″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n
Holiday shopping is always stressful for me. I want to give meaningful, quality gifts, but I\u2019m never sure where to start. So I\u2019m here for Meredith\u2019s shopping advice, and after two and half years of working at the Shinola Detroit store, she certainly knows how to help.<\/p>\n
Her first piece of advice?<\/p>\n
\u201cMake it a whole-day experience.\u201d<\/span><\/em> Find a good breakfast or lunch place, then come to the store to shop, and go Downtown for a nice dinner. Shopping in the store might take a little longer than expected, she warns, and at first, I don\u2019t understand how that\u2019s going to make my holiday shopping any easier. But as Meredith shows me around the store, I start to get the picture.<\/p>\n She asks me who I\u2019m shopping for, so we start with my mom. I tell her she’s simple, classic and\u2014of course\u2014only deserves the best (remember, Mom\u2014this is why I\u2019m the favorite daughter).<\/p>\n Meredith recommends the Small Signet Rotating Pendant because it\u2019s clean, classic and engravable. She also adds that necklaces make great gifts <\/span><\/em>because you don\u2019t need to know her size, like you would if you were buying a ring. Choosing gold jewelry can also make a gift extra special for the holidays. She lets me try it on to get a sense of scale, so I put down my tea and clasp the 14k gold necklace around my neck.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4569″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n \u201cI always encourage people to try things on\u2014jewelry, watches, even the belts,\u201d Meredith says. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to tell online the sizing and how it’ll look on you. When you come into the store, you\u2019re able to try things on, touch the leather, feel how soft it is, or get a sense of how a certain strap will look with your skin tone.\u201d Meredith then points to a mannequin with the Shinola Hotel Alpaca Throw Blanket wrapped around it like a shawl. \u201cYou can see things displayed differently, too. You thought it was just a blanket. But it also makes the perfect shawl.\u201d And just when I thought the alpaca blanket couldn\u2019t get any better…<\/p>\n Now that I have the necklace on, I don\u2019t want to take it off. Meredith tells me that\u2019s a pretty common experience when people try things on in the store. Even when a guest tries on a watch, she encourages them to look in the mirror so that they see not only the watch but also how it looks on them. And if they fall in love\u2014which, fair warning, is likely to happen\u2014she’ll even suggest they wear their new purchase out of the store. Trust me, the idea was tempting.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4570″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n But enough about my own wish list. Back to Mom.<\/p>\n To make her gift even more special, Meredith suggests I get the necklace engraved, which can be done in the Detroit Canfield store and other select stores. \u201cEngraving is a great way to make it personal,\u201d <\/em><\/span>Meredith says. \u201cAnd moms and wives usually love the more sentimental gifts.\u201d She tells me about a woman who got this same necklace engraved for her mother. She put her initials on one side and her mother\u2019s initials on the other.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great to come into the store because you can bounce ideas off the sales associates,\u201d Meredith says. \u201cYou also get more flexibility. If you have a creative idea and you\u2019re not sure if that\u2019s something we do, just ask. We\u2019ll do our best to work with you and make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Engraving is just one of the many services the Shinola stores offer. Bracelet sizing, gift wrapping and monogramming can also make a gift perfectly personal. While engraving takes a few days to complete, Meredith monograms a planner right then and there for me.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4571″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n She shows me the size and color options\u2014silver, gold, rose gold and black\u2014and she holds the purple planner up to the colors so I could see which would be the best choice. We decide on rose gold for a feminine look.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4572″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Now that my mom is taken care of, it\u2019s time to move onto the men\u2019s gifts. We start with the boyfriend.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s your husband, go for a watch,\u201d<\/em><\/span> Meredith says. \u201cBut for a boyfriend, go for a leather good,<\/em><\/span> like a wallet or a belt. Those can be monogrammed, too.\u201d<\/p>\n She asks me a little bit about my boyfriend. He\u2019s a young computer engineer, into electronics I don\u2019t understand and tough to shop for.<\/p>\n Unfazed, she quickly suggests the Tech Portfolio. I look at the different kinds of leathers it comes in. She opens it up and shows me all the compartments so that I can see just how much it holds. \u201cIt\u2019s perfect for a techy guy.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4573″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n That was almost too easy, but now it\u2019s time for the really tricky one: Dad.<\/p>\n Meredith suggests a personal and customer favorite\u2014the Canfield Sport. While I agree, it\u2019s a stunning timepiece, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s my dad\u2019s style. So she takes me to the Willard Watch Bar, Shinola\u2019s custom watch program. An array of cases and a spread of straps in different colors and materials (leather, bracelets, rubber or cloth) line the wall. Like the best kind of buffet, customers can pick and choose what they like.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4574″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n \u201cA watch is a great way for a man to accessorize,\u201d<\/em><\/span> Meredith says. She always tells her guests that a watch is something they\u2019ll probably wear every day, so it\u2019s important to choose something that\u2019s just right for them.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4575″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Meredith says a lot of people come into the store shopping for dads. \u201cSometimes a whole family will come in and pick something out for their dad,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s really cool to see because the watch a son is helping pick out for his dad today might someday be passed down to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Like I said, this isn\u2019t your average store.<\/p>\n From special occasion visits to coworkers who act more like family, Shinola fosters a warm and welcoming environment both for its guests and its team.<\/p>\n \u201cI love everyone who works here,\u201d Meredith says. \u201cWe talk about it in the store, about how we\u2019re like one big family, and it just feels like we\u2019re meant to be together here at Shinola.\u201d<\/p>\n And the holiday season adds even more charm to the mix. From holiday treats for kids and seasonal drinks at the caf\u00e9 to festive decorations and live evergreens that make the store smell like the outdoors, I now see why Meredith suggested making it an all-day experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will be my third holiday season working at Shinola. It\u2019s so busy, and I love that,\u201d Meredith says. \u201cEveryone is excited to pick out gifts, and we get to be a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n When it seems like the world is rushing to survive the holiday chaos, it\u2019s nice to come in, slow down, and take the time to do gifting right.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4576″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are skylights and large windows that make the 100-year-old building light and airy. A caf\u00e9 brewing coffee and tea and serving locally sourced treats gives the store a sweet aroma. And even at noon on an average Monday in November, the store is filled\u2014locals work on laptops in the caf\u00e9, a group of tourists […]<\/p>\n