There is nothing better than finding the perfect gift for someone important to you. An item that somehow, without words, conveys “I understand and appreciate you.” It’s a priceless feat not easily accomplished, but always worth the effort. Finding a great gift shop is paramount to your success and we are lucky in New Orleans to have some of the best. Phina, one such locale, recently announced that in addition to their growing number of brick-and-mortar gift stores, it has acquired a gift service business called The Basketry. I chatted with Jenny McGuinness, who along with her sister Jessica Woodward and mother Linda Dalton, are running the show.
When and why did you open the first Phina shop? Jenny: We opened our first Phina on Veterans Blvd. in 2016. Our mom, Linda, ran a café/gift shop called Paradise Café in the same location for years and was ready to take a step back. Jessica (my sister) and I wanted to get more involved, but we didn’t want to offer food. So, we renovated the space and reopened as Phina – which was our great grandmother’s nickname. Our grandfather owned Paradise Lanes, a bowling alley that was on the same property from 1959 until 1995. We used some of the wood from the bowling lanes to build our sales desk.
What do you think Phina does best? Jenny: Most of our customers are shopping for gifts to give. We love to have as many options as possible at various price points for them to discover. They usually end up finding a little something special for themselves as well.
Which products (at Phina) are you most excited about for the fall/ holiday season? Jenny: We have a few new jewelry lines that we really love. And we’re doing fun colors for holiday decorations this year; like pink and mint. We also have great new items from some of our best-selling lines like Barefoot Dreams, Glasshouse Candles and Dean Davidson.
You must already be very busy; how did you decide to acquire The Basketry? Jenny: Jessica and I have wanted to expand into the gift box category for a long time. So, when Kristi Brocato, The Basketry’s founder, reached out it made a ton of sense to us. The Basketry has a team of gifting experts who have been in place for years. Their process has been perfected and streamlined to make sending corporate and individual gifts incredibly easy.
Are there any baskets or specific gift products in the fall that are always a hit? Jenny: The gift baskets with Caymus or Veuve Clicquot are always a huge hit. And we love working with corporate clients to incorporate their own branding into their gifts to make it more personal. Jessica and I have also been working with the team at The Basketry to add some new premade gift boxes to the fall lineup that we’re really excited about. But you can also always build a custom gift with whatever works for you.
How do we order from The Basketry? Jenny: You can call, text or email to order and either have them shipped or delivered. Or you can pick them up at any Phina store. You can also pick up Phina orders at The Basketry. We can turn things around pretty quickly, sometimes even in the same day. For orders with 20 gifts or under, one to two days advance notice is usually fine. But if it’s a larger order, or requires customization, we need a little more time. Obviously, the holidays are extremely busy for us, so the more advance notice we have the better.
The Basketry:
12337 Highway 90, Luling, LA
504-309-7935
thebasketry.com
Phina:
3717 Veterans Blvd.,
2561 Metairie Rd.
425 Harrison Ave.
phinashop.com
Meet Penn, Shop Talk Blogger
Penn larocci is a born and raised New Orleanian.
After graduating from Tulane University she lived in NYC for nine years working in sales and marketing at an investment bank. When she missed New Orleans more than she could stand, she moved back home, met her husband and started a family. She’s now raising two rambunctious little boys and spending her free time on environmental sustainability projects.
