Capitola Seashells

Really liked this shop! From the eclectic blend of reasonably-priced merchandise to the friendly…read moreservice. I did read the reviews of the store in Carmel - wowzers. I did not experience the level of horrible customer service that Yelpers complained about at this location. I bought a fun scarf - kind of like a cheap knock off of the striped Missoni-style scarves. They were only $7.50! Acrylic of course. Great spot to buy a unique souvenir or a gift for someone. Highly recommend!

This is the capitola edition of the carmel bay company, located just a block off the beach…read more Parking is street only which sometimes (weekdays in the winter) possible at other times (weekends, the entire summer/tourist season) the rarest commodity on earth. There is a surface lot a block (off of Monterey) away that has all the same problems as the street parking. Generally speaking I like the odds that the lot behind the police station offers, but in peak tourist season you'd best plan ahead for parking. This is a medium ish sized store very typical in layout for the shops that line this block close to the beach. The entrance faces the street, and the stock is laid out through the store with the cashier at the back. It will seem narrow but isn't really. The stock falls into mid range giftables. It's not a super expensive spot where you can blow 500 dollars on a purse but is the kind of spot where you can pick up a decent clutch for 40 bucks or so. Most of the items fall into the home décor category with a mild beach theme. There are inspirational books, wine accessories, all sorts of beach gear, light clothing, candles, leather craft goods, cups, and yes magnets because of course there are. Overall it's a reliable source of better quality gifts then you'll find elsewhere on the esplanade, the kind of things that won't embarrass you when you get home.

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Book

Ethos

4.9(28 reviews)

I've been here twice and last time my daughter and I purchased the witch hazel. She liked it and…read morewe came back today to refill it. While they were out of the specific formula we purchased another and the lady working was very helpful and kind. Her name was Mafer and she made our experience special with her outstanding customer service! This store is truly unique and has many products at reasonable prices. I would return especially because of Mafer.

We need more stores like this in every town: eco-friendly, sustainable, carbon-neutral, and…read moreplastic-free! They sell a variety of household goods, skincare and beauty products, and so much more, with the emphasis on good-for-the-planet and good-for-you. I had run past this shop and driven by many times, always saying to myself that I needed to drop in when it's open (which by the way is 11am-6pm), and finally got a chance to during the Capitola Art & Wine Festival. There's so much more in this store than I expected, and it's a lot bigger inside than it looks from the outside. Not only do they sell a lot of specialty and everyday items from quality and earth conscious brands, they also are a refillery so you can pop in armed with your own bottles/containers to refill with everything from body lotion to laundry detergent! It's awesome! Ethos is also a Certified B Corp, donates some of their proceeds to environmental nonprofits, is locally-owned, and women-owned! So many positive reasons to support and check them out! Do it for your health and for the planet! :)

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Shampoo

Craft Gallery

4.7(31 reviews)

Totally online/phone experience. I can't say enough good things about this place…read more I was looking for a specific bracelet. The online search terms bring up a lot of irrelevant info bc it's named after an insect. So I narrow my search and find what I'm looking for. I had to call to verify bc I had a bad experience with another online transaction with another company. I wish I could remember who I spoke with. She was so nice! She verified she had what I was looking for & I told her I would order online later in the day (my lunch hour was ending). She said she would set it aside (going the extra mile!). I ended up calling back bc it was getting late & I didn't want her to think I was blowing her off. She ended up taking my order over the phone and was able to locate some other pieces I was looking for. I said "no rush" on the shipping bc I didn't need it for Christmas. I actually received it on 12/24 with a "happy birthday" note on my receipt. Really great buying experience & I received my beautiful bracelet in time for my birthday. Thanks for a flawless experience!

This little shop is a true gem to find. Amazing wonderful Art and Jewelry. Nice friendly staff, my…read morefamily and I felt very Welcomed. Greatly appreciate their opinions and suggestions. It was truly hard to Not buy so many wonderful items. Excited to share this place with others.

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Firefly Dolce Vita bracelet

Lumen Gallery

4.5(19 reviews)

I've been buying client gifts, beloved art, candles, jewelry and textiles from Cierra for over a…read moredecade (since she opened her gallery in 2012). Even when I order holiday gifts for multiple clients, she always takes the time to wrap them beautifully and hand-write notes on my behalf. Please don't let a single negative review here put you off, you'll be in good hands with Cierra and Lumen Gallery.

Every time I am in Capitola I love strolling through this place. Always lots of contemporary and…read morestylish things to see.

One of our Faves!

Of course we are always full of Chilewich Shag mats!

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Our vast collection of Pendleton Towels.

Sea Level

4.3(8 reviews)

0.1 mi

Good selection of adult novelty souvenir tee shirts (work safe adult - not *that* kind of "adult")…read moreat acceptable tourist location prices ($26 OTD). They had a few other things such as kid's tees, baby onesies, postcards, etc. But predominantly t-shirts here. Service was helpful and she was far more polite to the non-mask wearing women who walked in after us than I would have been (FYI, I loathe the dumb mask but generally, rules are rules).

1. Don't shop here because the clothes are cheap material and over priced for what you get. Trust…read moreme you can get better quality down the way. Just keep walking! 2 ( and most importantly) The woman they have working AS THE CASHIER is rude AF. She should definitely be fired because her customer service is A-palling . If this is how she treats half of the customers that walked by there good luck getting any business. The woman is terrible. I am SHOCKED at the level of customer service of this place! My son, who was NOT in the establishment waved at a dog inside the store. She yells to him VERY RUDELY "watch out for your ice cream" and so I looked at her and said "he's not inside the store" Her response " I don't care , I don't want it there" EXCUSE ME? Don't talk to me like that or my son and secondly you don't own the sidewalk you idiot. Some people! Seriously, the owners need to reconsider hiring someone else if they want more business. And if she is the owner (which I doubt) good luck staying in business. You have a lot to learn about running one.

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Capitola Mercantile

3.0(7 reviews)

The rudest I've ever been treated. The owner of the new place treated me like an adversary, not a…read morecustomer. I look forward to their karma causing their failure.

Josh is the property manager here and extorted money tonight by having our car towed because it was…read moreslightly over the line because another car was parked incorrectly. Santa Cruz aptos auto towing was rude, used fowl language when we asked questions and the owner was slurring his words. Zelda Manager apologized that Josh would do this to 4 senior citizens. Beware of this set up in this parking lot. Police will do nothing because it's privately owned for public parking. A scam for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!! Josh's number is 831-8189593

BFF Boutique: Vintage & Recycled Fashions

Om Rhythms love this store

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She Sells Seashells and More

Outside-In

3.2(58 reviews)

2.3 mi

•$$$

This was a lovely store that had so much to offer. This cute shop was packed full of clothing, home…read moredecor, and other wonderful items. After reading previous review reviews, I was a little apprehensive, walking in knowing what many others had experienced with their customer service. I will say when I walked in there was somebody who promptly greeted me and my husband, when we walked in and made some small talk. As we peruse the store, I did experience a little of what other people were saying as the employee seemed to keep popping up to chat with us as we per the store. I can understand why some customers may think that it may come off as the employees are watching you while you shop. I don't think that was what was happening at all. I think they were trying to definitely just be more friendly and welcoming, but I think they do need to tone down how many times they pop up while you are walking around the store. All of the items they have to offer are a fabulous quality and definitely a great spot to pick up gifts for others. When I'm in the area, I will definitely pop in and shop again.

This store has a ton of unique items that are PERFECT for gifting. I wish I found this shop before…read moreChristmas. The price point is expensive but expected at a small boutique store such as this. I could spent hours in here looking at all of the different items. My friend was coming in to exchange an item or swap it out for another item. After shopping around and finding another jacket that she liked we inspected the jacket because it was white and we wanted to make sure it was free of damage. We came across black marks on all of these white jackets and brought it up to an employee at the front. They attempted to clean it with a paper towel and maybe water? But unfortunately no luck. They mentioned that she could try to clear it with upholstery cleaner after she purchased it but at the price point of over $100 my friend decided to pass. She ended up returning her item and receiving store credit. The reason for my 3/5 rating is due to the expensive clothing being stained and the awkward exchange. Overall, I would come back and give this place a chance when in need of a unique gift.

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Super cute candle's

Zen Island

3.5(74 reviews)

1.0 mi

Pretty are good prices. Very nice service. Seems to get quite a bit of local support from residents…read more. I'm new to visiting the area. Stopped in on a busy weekend. I will be back.

Such a cute little shop full of adorable beachy treasures and unique finds. Everything had such a…read morefun coastal vibe and the atmosphere was so welcoming. Definitely recommend stopping in if you're in the area!

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Cowbelles For Heart & Home

5.0(1 review)

1.1 mi

Two weeks ago my husband and I were antiquing and came upon this great store at the end of our day…read more Two weeks later we went back to pick up a new headboard, dresser and night table, all of which we are very happy with. The quality of the furniture, the range of choices, the flexibility with colors , hardware choices, and the talented store owner, Anita, made this a very enjoyable purchase. I'd been looking for well over a year for items I found in these two rooms filled with lovely things. And all of them were beyond my expectations. I highly recommend Cowbelles to anyone looking for a pleasant shopping experience seeking antique furniture, thoughtful gifts, great accessories and unique jewelry. We live near San Francisco and it was worth sitting in summer travel over the hill to visit. I believe we would have been hard pressed to find the quality of merchandise, the value of the items we purchased and the genuine helpfulness of the store owner anywhere else. Make sure to add it to your list,you will enjoy it! We plan to go back soon.

From the owner: Eclectic furnishing, accessories and gifts. Decor accents of unusual finds with a timeless and…read morechic sensibility.

Always new finds added weekly.

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Quality statement pieces

Ace's Flowers

4.9(96 reviews)

2.3 mi

Locally owned & operated

33 years in business

Ordered a bouquet for my sisters birthday. Ordering system is super easy. You pick color and how…read moremuch you want to spend. I picked pink. Payment processing was super easy. And the arrangement was beautiful. My sister loved it. The peonies are gorgeous. Everything about it is lovely. Thank you so much.

We came into the darling flower shop looking for some beautiful flowers for thank you gifts. Such…read morehigh quality and stunning selection of flower arrangements! Thank you!!! :)